Evermoor: Sol's Eclipse
by Athyna Xavier
Summary: It's been nearly a month since May's Shadow, and Miranda's sister arrives and returns Bella to her family, as a new prophecy reveals an impending threat that only Tara and her friends can defeat. The day of the solar eclipse promises to be eventful as new players come to town, lines are drawn, and secrets exposed. Against power beyond imagination, can the teens be victorious?
1. Chapter 1: A Different Light

The stars were shining as the crickets chirped. The Smithsonian Institute stood stiff, dark, and proud against the cool breeze. It was a calm and peaceful night.

_BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGG!_

Well, it _was_.

A loud alarm blasted throughout the complex. The thieves exited the museum in a rush, running at full speed.

"Do it now!" Someone yelled as armed guards came into view.

A wheel of thick, chalky mist spiralled out of nowhere within seconds, enveloping the thieves in its depths. By the time the guards arrived at the spot, it had vanished once more, taking its occupants with it.

A curator at the Royal Ontario Museum was lying on the floor, unconscious, while an intruder searched for something.

"Why were you working late?" The criminal muttered, then their hand hit something. "Ah…"

Tapping a Bluetooth headset, they paused, inspecting the object. "I got it. Get me out."

White smoke engulfed the perpetrator and blew away in gentle gusts.

Hyperventilating with fear, the British Museum's security guard watched with wide eyes. He was tied down with invisible ropes and couldn't move a muscle.

"Calm down, we won't kill you," a whispery voice scoffed. "Nighty night!"

They punched the man in the face, knocking him out. The last thing he remembered was a milky haze creeping across his vision.

_Tara…_

A familiar voice called to the Supreme Everine in her sleep.

_Tara, listen to my voice…_

_An image of the late Miss T appeared, smiling kindly. She kept trying to speak, but the wind blew her words away._

_Suddenly, something clawed through Tara's dream. _

_A dark force with glowing eyes stared before lunging at her. _

"AH!"

Tara woke up with a loud shout, sweat beading her brow.

It was morning, and the sun was shining through her window.

Almost a month. It had been almost a month since the incident of May's Shadows, and since Bella had run away with Ryder and Miranda.

Tara's insides clenched. _Miranda. _

It was her fault Miss T had to sacrifice herself. Miranda had prepared to attach the dark spirit to Tara's soul, but the librarian had intervened and trapped the Shadow inside herself instead. She and the Shadow had disappeared, as well as the remnants of the Shadow's curse.

Miranda had to pay for what she did.

_Ding-dong. Ding-dong. _

The mansion had fallen into a strange stupor following Bella's escapade. Rob and Fiona had been tense, full of worry. They'd make constant trips to the police, sometimes leaving for a few days, only to return disheartened.

Jake and Ludo were quieter than usual, though they still searched for any cryptozoological phenomena around Evermoor. If Jake was anxious he never showed it.

Seb took things the hardest. Despite being K.O.'ed during the majority of the confrontation, he felt intense guilt over both Bella and Miranda. Seb had accidentally broke Miranda's heart, so he couldn't help but wonder if he was partially responsible for Miranda convincing Bella to run away.

Of course, the truth was more complicated than that, considering Tara suspected Bella had been enchanted to follow the pair, but all she had were suspicions.

_Ding-dong. Ding-dong. _

"Why's no one getting the door?" Tara stomped down the stairs in her pyjamas and yanked it open. "Do you realize people are trying to sleep in on a weekend—"

A shorter woman was struggling with someone on their back.

"Help please!" She was panting. "I'm going to drop her! Why'd she faint now?!"

Tara gaped as she recognized the girl being carried..

_"__BELLA?!" _

Once Bella had been safely brought inside there was a hullabaloo. Rob refused to leave her side as she lay on the couch, while Fiona called the Doctor/Mayor. Seb had appeared, pale as a ghost, while Jake and Ludo hovered nearby.

Bella seemed fine despite having been away for a month. Her hair was longer, her clothes were fresh, and she'd been washing and eating regularly.

"Thank God," Rob muttered. "Thank God."

The visitor watched the proceedings with interest. She was about five feet, or 1.52 meters, and a face mask hid her features. She was dressed in simple shorts, a t-shirt, and runners, as well as glasses.

"Thanks," Tara approached her cautiously. "What's with the mask?"

She laughed. "Oh sorry! I had a cold a couple days ago."

The woman removed her mask, revealing her smile.

Tara did a double take. "Wait…"

The Chinese woman had long black hair and twinkling dark eyes.

"I'm Leora," She introduced herself with a Canadian accent. "I believe you've met my sister?"

Though Miranda and Ryder had parted on semi-bad terms with the Crossley family, Leora bringing Bella home was enough for the adults to invite her to stay.

"I don't trust her!" Tara hissed to Seb.

"Relax, just because Miranda did stuff doesn't mean her sister necessarily knew about it," Seb responded quietly. "Besides, remember how Miranda and Ryder helped save you from getting sacrificed? They weren't all bad."

"That was before—" Tara bit her tongue. "What if she's here to take the mansion?"

"I was just coming to visit," Leora's voice filtered from down the hallway. "I ran into your daughter…Bella, right? She was trying to figure out a way home so I offered to drive her. She fell asleep in my car after she gave me the address. I woke her when we arrived, but the moment Bella touched the ground she fainted on top of me!"

"That's strange," Mrs. Crossley mused. "But thank you so much."

Tara and Seb listened with bated breath.

"I'm sorry if Miranda caused you any trouble," she apologized. "She can be a little intense sometimes."

Fiona chortled. "Well I accept your apology, and don't worry about it," the older woman told her. "I won't hold it against you."

"That bad, huh?"

"Actually she was quite helpful," she said thoughtfully. "Up until she revealed the will that took half the house and encouraged Bella to run away with her and Ryder."

"I see," Leora sighed.

"Do you want some brunch?"

"Maybe later. For now I need a nap. Driving is tiring!"

Tara beelined for the stairs once she heard the ladies leave.

"Tara, what are you doing?!" Seb crept after her. They tiptoed past the living room where the mayor was heartily assuring Rob that Bella would be fine after a good sleep, then stepped out the front door.

The day was warm as the birds chirped in the trees. Seb's eyes took a moment to adjust to the sunlight when he saw Tara, still in her pajamas, trying the door of a tiny Kia Soul.

"Tara!" Seb groaned.

"Locked!" She muttered in frustration. "You'd think for once—"

The car beeped loudly as the trunk opened.

The teenagers whirled to see Leora chuckling at them.

"A word of advice, eavesdroppers," She marched past them and removed an overnight bag, then closed the trunk. "You should make a plan before trying to break into my vehicle. I commend you on your attempt though! Initiative is always appreciated!"

Leora beamed and headed back inside, locking the car as she went.

Seb was red with embarrassment. "Nice going, Tara! She probably thinks we're delinquents!"

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, so she caught us this time—"

"Whoa!" He held his hands up. "_This time?_ I'm happy to help with your investigating and exploring, but not criminal activity! There is no 'us' in this, okay? Now I'm going to have a proper meal, which you should too, or you can explain to your mother why you're wandering outside in your pyjamas!"

Her stepbrother wheeled and stamped back into the house as Tara stared after him, gobsmacked.

Tara had changed her clothes when she ran into Leora.

"Hi!" she said cheerfully. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Tara clutched Miss T's pendant under her shirt. She never took it off since that day. "Sure," she replied civilly. "It won't take long, right?"

"Nah, just a couple questions," she led Tara into her room and closed the door. She met Tara's gaze, and though the teenager could still see her cheerfulness, her face was much more worried.

"What is it?" Tara asked suspiciously.

Leora tilted her head and spun her fingers, a reddish aura appearing around them. "I need to hear the exact details of what my sister did, Supreme Everine," she spoke mildly. "Preferably the abridged version."

She flinched.

"I won't hurt you, I came to talk," Leora assured her, snapping her fingers. The scarlet mist dissipated. "But it's imperative you tell me what happened that day."

"Why?" Tara snapped.

Leora swallowed hard. "I think Miranda's in danger," she shared nervously. "And if I'm right, there's a chance all of you are too."


	2. Chapter 2: New Developments

"Her magic was _white_?" Leora whispered. "That's bad."

Tara crossed her arms. "Do tell."

Leora fiddled with the bed cover. "Miranda's _qi_ is usually blue, though sometimes it manifests as gold. White isn't a good colour for us."

The teenager yawned. "Uh-huh. Like how?"

Leora met her eyes gravely. "It's the colour of death, Tara. If her _qi_'s changing now—"

Tara held her hands high. "Back up. Explain please."

Miranda's older sister sighed. "We're descended from a dragon and fox spirit, which already gives us powerful magic, but she's beyond that," she shared. "Miranda was born in the year of the tiger and…that affects her abilities too."

"How so?"

She swallowed. "It increases her capabilities and sensitivity. She's stronger than me, but she's more likely to become unstable."

The Everine briefly forgot her grumbling stomach. "What do you mean by 'unstable?'"

The Chinese Canadian tucked herself into bed. "Balance is extremely important in Chinese culture, especially in our family," she took off her glasses. "If we don't balance our warring sides, it can tear us apart. With my sister, the added _qi_ from the tiger makes it harder for her to stay in control. Tigers and dragons are eternal rivals, so she…explodes?" Leora frowned. "I think that's the best word for it. The energy builds up inside of her, and if she doesn't let it run off she changes."

The Supreme Everine snorted. "So why didn't she let it run off?"

Leora didn't smile. "Trauma. Before she came to Europe her friend…it's a long story, but he died. She just shut herself down, burying all her pain and sadness instead of dealing with it, and that affected her magic. We thought the trip would be good for her, but I guess it only hid her meltdown from us."

Tara raised an eyebrow. "Meltdown?"

"When Miranda's powers start to overwhelm her she can't rationalize properly. She gives in to her darkest thoughts." Leora said. "She literally becomes a different person."

"So it's not her fault she's a _jerk?!_"

"Yep," She closed her eyes.

"Hey, we're not finished here!" Tara exclaimed. "What do you mean it's bad her magic's white? And why would we be in danger?"

The Chinese girl rolled over. "I'll elaborate once I sleep and you have breakfast. You're getting a lot more irritable without it."

Tara was annoyed, but ate silently at the table before stomping away.

Bella was still fast asleep in the living room, though she looked much better. The doorbell rang again, and Tara ended up answering it again.  
"Who—?! Oh hi Sorsha," she greeted hesitantly.

Sorsha had tried to stop Esmeralda from killing her, but afterwards fell to the May's Shadow. She'd recovered, but once again was distancing herself from Seb, much to his distress, though she'd respond to his text messages once in a while.

"I heard your sister has returned," she spoke in her feathery voice. "Is she all right? My father didn't say much."

Tara snorted. "He shouldn't say anything at all! Hasn't he heard of doctor-patient confidentiality?"

The village girl simply shrugged. "How is…your brother?"

"Seb or Jake?" Tara retorted, then relented after seeing the spark of pain in her eyes. "Seb's hovering. I think he feels guilty, not that he's to blame."

It was true. Seb had scarfed down his food and bolted back to the living room, helping tend to Bella.

"Oh…" she fidgeted, uncertain. "Well…I guess I'll drop by later…"

"See ya," Tara shut the door immediately, feeling a little bad after seeing Sorsha's shocked face.

It wasn't selfish if she wanted Seb to have more time to put himself together, right? Sorsha was great, but family came first, and Tara knew Bella's return (and her strange condition) would be tearing him apart inside. It was better not to add onto that stress…right?`

Was she being overprotective of her brother?

Possibly.

Was she going to stop?

Unlikely.

It was for his own good. Tara vowed to keep Seb and Sorsha as far apart as possible.

"No!"

Tara was walking past Leora's room when she heard someone exclaim.

"I can't stop them, I'm sorry," This was a different voice. Tara could tell it was another girl.

"They are _not _touching my sister!" Leora hissed. "I won't let them."

"Leora, she's out of control. She _burned_ you. She's never gone this far."

"That was a mistake, and I saw the look in her eyes," Leora was stubborn. "She regretted it."

"Regret didn't stop her from going kleptomaniac," the girl had a slight accent that Tara couldn't place. "Miranda's attracting too much attention."

"That's why I'm here!" Leora yawned at the end of her sentence. "Now let me sleep. Thanks for the warning."

Someone shifted uncomfortably. "Why would Miranda come back _here_? Why on earth would she kidnap that girl?"

Leora groaned. "Let me sleep! Seriously, I'm dead tired."

The other girl sighed. "Fine, but we still can't locate Ryder. We're not sure what happened to him after London."

There was a quiet huff of air. Leora threw herself into bed with a groan.  
"Why do they keep interfering?" she muttered to herself.

Tara continued on her way, heading for the secret passage.

Great-Aunt Bridget sat in silence for about two minutes after Tara finished the narrative.  
"The good news is Bella came back," Bridget finally said, causing her to jump.

"Right."

"But she was delivered by Miranda's sister."

"Yep."

"And she attributes Miranda's actions as to her not being herself?"  
"Exactly," Tara fidgeted uncomfortably.

Bridget exhaled. "Well that's…interesting."

Tara scoffed. "She's probably lying."

"What makes you say that?"

The teenager's eyes widened. "She—she has to be! She's related to Miranda!"

Bridget frowned. "Since when was blood a determining factor for malevolence?"

Tara's eyes narrowed. "Miranda good as _murdered _Miss T!" She shouted. "She almost destroyed Evermoor!"

Her great aunt flinched. "You don't need to remind me," her voice was sad.

"What makes you think this 'sister' is any different?" Tara remarked vehemently. "She shows up with Bella in a comatose state, and that doesn't exactly make me trust her!"

There was silence. Tara's chest heaved as she inhaled huge gulps of air after her outburst.

"Your grief is blinding you," Great-Aunt Bridget spoke softly. "But!" She lifted one hand before Tara could launch a protest. "It never hurts to be cautious."

The Supreme Everine was somewhat mollified. "So what should we do?"

The older woman gave the teenager a hug. "Be patient," she advised. "Wait for Leora to wake up, then find out all you can."

Neither of them noticed a tiny field mouse in the corner. A hint of red flashed in its eyes before it chirped and scampered away.

Cameron was sitting outside the library, sighing. Tara trotted up to him, noticing the doors to the building were still locked.

"What's wrong?" She asked. He'd texted her as she was sneaking back home, and left the mansion to meet him later that afternoon.

He ran his hands through his hair. "They're going to close the library," Cameron was despondent. "Miss T still hasn't been found, and…no one wants to bother replacing her."

Tara gasped. "Oh Cameron…I'm so sorry."

Her boyfriend sighed ruefully. "I guess it was only a matter of time."

It had been Cameron who introduced her to the library and Miss T. He had taken her disappearance hard—he'd known the old woman since he was little. Tara didn't have the heart to tell him what really happened to the former Everine. She couldn't bear to crush the hope in his eyes.

"Books should be available for everyone," Tara muttered.

"I couldn't agree more."

A new voice chimed in, causing both teens to whirl around.

A petite woman beamed at them. She had curly red hair cut in a bob, and rectangular glasses. Her eyes were a warm brown. Her skin was suntanned with smile lines, and she held a large cardboard box in her arms.

"I'm sorry, who…?" Cameron tentatively wondered.

"Mrs. Levin," she replied in a brisk German accent. "I just moved here and saw you required a librarian."

Tara leaped to her feet. "Let me hold that!" She quickly removed the box from Mrs. Levin's arms, buckling slightly at the unexpected weight.

"Thank you dear," Mrs. Levin smiled, removing the key from her pocket. "Do you two mind helping me?"

A few minutes later they'd set up Mrs. Levin's desk. Miss T had very little in way of personal possessions, so it was sadly easy.

"May I ask your names?" Mrs. Levin was straightforward.

"I'm Cameron, and this is Tara," Cameron introduced them.

"Cameron and Tara!" Mrs. Levin said brightly. "I'll make sure to remember!"

An awkward pause filled the air as Mrs. Levin checked the office supplies.

"Why did you move here?" Tara asked.

The older woman chuckled. "Retirement!" She stated cheerfully. "Also medical leave. The doctor said that I had to spend quiet time in fresh air."

Cameron blinked. "Oh, sorry…we didn't mean to pry."

"No prying!" Mrs. Levin reassured him. "Either way, now I'm here."

Tara paused. "Where'd you move from?" Her curiosity was getting in the way of her politeness, and she had to restrain herself from interrogating the older woman.

The new librarian placed a photograph at a different angle. "Hm? I was living near London for a while, but I was born in Germany," Mrs. Levin shared. "If you teenagers are worried about my credentials, I can assure you I know a lot about the Dewey Decimal System!"

Tara's phone buzzed as Cameron began questioning when the library would be reopened.

_GET BACK NOW. BELLA'S AWAKE. _

The text from Seb jolted her into action.

"Sorry, gotta jet," she apologized to the others, giving Cameron a quick hug. "I'll be back soon!"

Mrs. Levin winked. "Don't worry! Me and this nice boy will talk about books until you return." She leaned in close with an exaggerated stage whisper. "He's very good looking!"

She couldn't help but laugh. "I know. Have fun!"

Cameron waved before returning to his conversation with the new librarian. Tara sped away, smiling.


	3. Chapter 3: Intelligence

Bella was sitting up in the main room, drinking tea as the family crowded around her. Tara ran in, breathing hard, and beamed.

"Bella!" She ran and embraced her. "You're okay!"

The blonde girl hesitantly returned the hug.

"Of course," she joked. "It's nice to see the place is still standing."

Rob was holding her hand while Fiona was on the other side.

"You've missed so much!" Jake was hopping with excitement. "Me n' Ludo found evidence of a _different _beast in the bog!"

"Lovely," Bella chuckled.

Seb hesitated. "Do you remember…anything?"

She paused, her eyes flicking briefly towards Tara. "It's…it's a bit blurry," she confessed. "I'm not sure exactly, but…" She paused again. "I think I'll remember more later."

The teenager sounded strange, but then again, she'd just returned from a long ordeal. As she tucked her hair behind her ears, Tara noticed she still wore her chrysoberyl earrings.

"So that's Bella," Leora commented. "She seems all right."

The Supreme Everine frowned. "Hopefully she isn't traumatized for life or anything," she spoke sarcastically.

Tara had gone upstairs to find Miranda's older sister eavesdropping. Leora then rushed Tara to her room and securely fastened the door, letting loose scarlet sparkles that spread across its frame in a complex pattern.

"I somehow doubt that, she seems quite resilient," Leora said nonchalantly.

"What was that?" Tara was unnerved by the casual display of magic.

The other girl raised her eyebrows. "What? I didn't think you'd want to be overheard."

Tara glared at her. "Why, because your sister _abducted _mine?!"

"Technically she was enchanted, not abducted," Leora corrected.

"Same difference!" she snarled.

The mage tilted her head. "Tell me why," her voice was steady. "Why exactly do you hate my sister so much?"

Tara took a deep breath. She'd only briefly recapped the final confrontation, but now…

"I told you that Miranda tried to attach the Shadow on me," she gritted her teeth. "And that Miss T stopped it."

"Which is why she's no longer here," Leora said.

Tara clenched her fists. "She joined with May's Shadow instead to save me, trapping herself and the monster in limbo with an enchanted bracelet. Miss T never would've had to do that if Miranda didn't take her revenge. It's _her _fault Miss T had to die!"

Silence stretched seconds into minutes.

"I'm sorry," Leora's voice quaked slightly. Tara was shocked to see her swipe tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry for what she did. It's…it's a lot worse than I thought."

The sight was enough to tug her heartstrings. "It's not your fault," she conceded grudgingly.

"Even even if she was possessed by our ancestress at certain points, Miranda would've had to be herself when she did those things." Leora groaned.

"Unfortunately," The Everine spoke acidly.

"She's never gone this _dark _before, Tara," Leora informed her solemnly. "Something's very wrong. No matter how stressed she was…Miranda would never take a life. It's a family code."

"Well aren't you all saints," she grumbled.

A beep came from Leora's cell phone. She grabbed it and her eyes widened.

"Another one?" She muttered.

Tara snuck a peek at the screen. "Jade artifacts stolen?"

Leora released a crimson starburst that dazzled Tara's eyes.

"Eyes off, Supreme Everine," she warned. "Didn't your mother teach you not to pry?"

"But what if it has to do with Miranda?" she demanded, blinking away stars.

The older girl sighed. "Feel free to tell your mentor I'm cooperating," she informed her. "Anyway…Bella remembers more than she's letting on."

Tara had barely stepped out of Leora's room before she was pulled into another vision.

_Miranda stared at her, eyes dead and emotionless. She lifted one hand to point an accusing finger. _

_"__It was you," she intoned monotonously. A white fireball burst from her chest, forming an intricate dragon. It roared before transforming into a laughing fox, then a majestic tiger, which gazed imperiously upon the Everine. Then the light spun, forming a milky disk that exploded in bursts of white. When Tara looked again, it outlined Miranda's figure with hints of shadow swirling around._

_"__Water, fire, earth, metal, wood—you will come for me?" Miranda's voice was much deeper, echoing throughout Tara's mind. The mage's face twisted into a terrifying smirk. _

_"__Unless things go as it should, you will pay in blood, Everine," she sneered, lightning crackling around her white irises. "And the cost will be greater than you've ever seen." _

"Tara!" Bella had just climbed the stairs to see her stepsister frozen outside the guest room. She grabbed her hands. "Are you all right?"

The Supreme Everine shook herself from her reverie.

"Uh…yeah," Tara replied shakily. "What's up?"

She took a deep breath. "I remember."

A chill ran down her spine. "What?"

Her stepsister's steady eyes met hers. "I remember what happened during Storm Week," she repeated, her tone serious. "I saw what you and Miranda and Ryder did. I need an explanation, now."

They were in Bella's room, mulling through awkward silence. Only mice made noise, chittering in the walls, as the two girls were silent.

Tara had told her story, and now waited nervously.

"So, you are the Supreme Everine, Miranda was a mage, and Ryder helped her almost kill you and enchant me," Bella recounted.

"Yes…?" Tara hesitated.

"That explains a lot, actually," Bella was strangely thoughtful. "I have these…gaps in my memory, so it wasn't a full lie, but I doubt the rest of the family could help me with this."

Tara impulsively gave her a hug. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "It's my fault you ran to them. If I hadn't been a jerk—"

Bella's arms embraced her gently.

"That's true, but it's okay," her voice was unusually soft. "I forgive you."

Tara couldn't help but laugh a little as her eyes teared. "When did you become so mature?"

The blonde giggled. "You always underestimated me."

Both girls pulled away, but the atmosphere was warm. They gave each other genuine smiles.

"Can you tell me what you remember?" Tara asked cautiously.

Bella sighed. "It's…it's not much, but I'll try."

_There wasn't a clear sense of time passing or settings changing. Bella's recollections began when the fog in her mind started to lift._

_They'd been in a hotel room. It seemed a bit cheap, but it was clean and neat._

_There was two twin beds and a cot. All the sheets and covers had been turned down. The shower was running in the washroom, and mysterious dark bags were perched on a small desk. Only the light from the bathroom and the light by the door were on, leaving a dim ambience._

_She was sitting in an armchair on the far side of the room, beside the curtained window. Someone was facing away from her, slouching on the nearby bed. _

_"__Hello?" Bella asked in confusion. _

_Ryder wheeled in surprise. "B—Bella! Is everything all right?!" _

_She rubbed her eyes. "My head feels weird. I…" she frowned. "Where are we?" _

_"__Sh!" Ryder hissed. He rolled across the bed and clutched her hand. "Stay quiet, if she hears you—"_

_The shower noises continued undisturbed. _

_Bella noticed Ryder looked different. His face was tired and gaunt. His brow was sweaty, and his hand felt cold. _

_"__Ryder…are you okay?" _

_He attempted to smile. _

_"__Oh, Bell…" he exhaled. "I wish I was." _

_"__Why is she awake?" an imperious voice demanded, and the world was filled with mist once more. _

_Bella woke up again. This time she was in a dark forest, watching Ryder shakily mixing ingredients in a stone basin sitting on a stump. He tore leaves apart, throwing them in. As he poured in a vial of thick, blue liquid, a sudden gust of wind swept through the trees, causing the branches to rattle against each other ominously. A sonic boom echoed as the basin's contents glowed a luminescent green. _

_Ryder chanted in a foreign tongue._

_"__You traitor!" _

_A crash echoed. Miranda appeared, her eyes blazing white. She threw Ryder against a tree with a beam of pure energy. A sickening crack echoed, and he fell to the ground, gasping._

_The basin continued to shine brightly, painting the scene in an eerie virescence._

_"__After everything I did for you, you choose to throw in your lot with those swine?!" Miranda roared. _

_The wind blew even harder, causing Bella to stagger, her hair whipping her face. The trees tossed and turned, creating a soundscape of chaos. Leaves rustled and branches screeched while gales screamed and whistled._

_Bella stayed low, crouching beside a tree trunk._

_"__Miranda…" his voice was strained. "You're not yourself."_

_The mage cackled. "On the contrary, Ryder, I've never felt better," she retorted scathingly. "Did you really think your silly charm could defeat _me_?!" _

_She directed a pale fireball at the basin, causing it to explode. _

_"__No," Ryder glared. "But it'll stall you long enough!"_

_The Chinese girl froze before being encased in a swirling cocoon of white and green light. The wind died down and the world stilled. _

_Ryder sat up, hissing in pain. His hands checked his ribs and he grimaced._

_"__Ryder!" Bella ran over to him. _

_"__You saw that?" He spoke through clenched teeth. "I'm glad you're okay, Bell." _

_She held his hand. "Let's go then." _

_"__No," Ryder coughed. "I need to maintain the spell." _

_Bella chewed on her lip. "But—you're hurt." _

_He laughed dryly. "Just a broken rib or two," he met her eyes. "Bell, I need you to listen to me." _

_She nodded. _

_"__You need to go home, back to Evermoor," Ryder told her seriously. _

_"__I'm not leaving you like this!" She protested. _

_"__You have to," he was calm. "I need you to take care of something." _

_He removed something from his jacket pocket and placed it in her hand, trembling. _

_"__Protect this," Ryder instructed. "Someone will come for it, and they'll be able to stop Miranda." _

_Threads of the same luminescent green began to streak through the air, wrapping the clearing in a magical sheath._

_"__Go!" He smiled sadly. "I'll hold her for as long as I can." _

_Bella kissed Ryder on the lips before sprinting past the tendrils of magic, tears streaming down her face. _

"What did he give you?" Tara asked.

Bella bit her lip. "That's the problem…I don't remember. When I woke up, I didn't have it."


	4. Chapter 4: Disclosure

"Hey, can I come in?" Leora knocked on the door. "Your mom sent me to ask if you needed anything."

Crimson appeared at the other end of the hallway, muttering darkly. She saw Leora and gasped.

"You!"

Leora tilted her head. "Um…do I know you?"

Crimson pointed a shaking finger at her before running away in the opposite direction.

Leora stared after her. "Okay then."

The mage decided to open the door and saw Bella and Tara sitting close, discussing something quietly.

"Hey, you two!" Leora giggled. "Hate to break up the secret fest, but—"

Bella jumped up; her face drained of all blood. "Y-Y-You!"

Tara was confused until Leora's expression changed. Suddenly, she looked almost exactly like her sister.

"Bella, this is Leora, Miranda's older sister," Tara introduced hastily. "Remember she brought you home? She isn't going to hurt us."

"But that means…" she stepped backwards. "She has magic too."

Leora nodded slowly. "Yes…is that good or bad?" She entered the room and closed the door behind her.

Bella pressed herself against the wall, her eyes widening with panic.

"She's here to help," Tara reassured her.

Bella shook her head wildly in disbelief.

Leora smiled gently. "Let me show you something."

The mage twirled her hands and fingers in a circle, a scarlet shimmering gathering around her fingers. She formed a misty orb that grew solid, trapping light in its surface. Launching it into the air, the ball exploded into words.

WELCOME HOME, BELLA!

Elegant calligraphy was displayed in the air, glittering brightly. Silver sparkles twinkled around the 3D message and formed constellations across the ceiling.

Tara and Bella gaped in awe at the pretty sight.

Leora released the magic, causing a burst of warm colours. Orange, yellow, red, gold and bronze particles floated languidly, twirling and fading.

"Magic isn't evil, it's simply a tool," Leora approached them and presented both girls with ring boxes. They each accepted them to find slim silver bands with different gems: Tara's was a deep green tear drop, while Bella's was a crimson circle.

"So, it can only be defined by the person or persons using it," Tara finished.

"Exactly," Leora's eyes glinted. "I don't condone what Miranda did, but she wasn't herself."

"That was kind of obvious," Bella muttered.

The older girl gave a mysterious smile. "When you're ready to talk, I'll be waiting. In the meantime, I should probably tell your mom you guys are fine."

Seb entered the kitchen and nearly walked right out again after seeing Fiona and Miranda's sister chatting amicably.

"Seb!" Fiona called him.

He turned reluctantly. "Yes?"

She gave Leora a gentle shove. "Leora wants to walk around Evermoor, and I don't want her wandering by herself," Fiona told him.

"Mrs. Crossley I'm a grown adult—"

"I don't want you falling into the bog," Fiona spoke adamantly. "Especially with all you did getting Bella home."

Leora chuckled. "That would be bad hospitality." She grinned at him, a mischievous expression her face. "I guess we should start. Don't worry, I promise to be a perfect lady and do you no dishonour."

Seb had no reason to decline, except for the fact Leora looked a lot like Miranda.

There were differences of course. Their height, obviously, and Leora was much cheerier than her younger sister.

However, the mannerisms, the way they spoke—

Guilt kept gnawing at his conscience, and he wondered if he should tell Leora what happened between him and her sister.

"This town is so chill," Leora commented breezily. Her eyes brightened when she saw the shops. "Ooooh!"

"We don't have much," Seb tried to tamp down her enthusiasm. "It's mostly essentials and some crafts."

Leora shook her head in mock disapproval. "Shame, shame," she clicked her tongue. "You don't have to come in with me if it bothers you so much. I'll just be quick, okay?"

The girl zipped away without a second look.

Seb could only stare before someone crashed into him, knocking him to the ground.

"Whoa, sorry!" A stocky man helped him to his feet. "Didn't expect you to stop there!"

The stranger had a North American accent and a pleasant smile. His hair was brown and his eyes light green. His overall shape was more round, but he wasn't overweight. Seb couldn't help but stare at his black cord necklace with a metal shield pendant.

"It's all right," Seb brushed off his pants. "Um…are you visiting?"

"Something like that," the man stuck out a hand. "Percy Madoc."

"Sebastian Crossley," Seb shook the other's hand firmly. "But most people call me Seb, Mr. Madoc."

He grinned. "Just Percy is fine!"

"Already making friends?" A female voice entered the conversation.

"Ah Gwen!" Percy hugged a shorter woman who had appeared, an easygoing grin on her face. "Seb, this is Gwen, my cousin. Gwen, Seb."

Gwen laughed. "Percy, you're getting overexcited."

Gwen was curvy, with dark brown hair and merry dark eyes. She wore a similar necklace, but her charm was of balancing scales.

"So why are you guys in town?" Sebastian asked. "No one comes to Evermoor."

The two strangers exchanged playful looks.

"Many reasons," Percy winked. "Anyway, we gotta jet. See ya!"

The cousins left, bantering good-naturedly.

"Hey," Leora reappeared, gift bag in one hand. "Just met your mayor, he's quite a character…who was that?"

Seb shrugged. "Visitors, apparently. Ready to go?"

Tara and Bella sat across from each other, both holding the gold thread between them. Tara's eyes were shut as she meditated. Both were wearing the rings from Leora, and the thread seemed to bring out the gems' inner fire.

"Are you sure about this?" Bella whispered.

"Sh…"

Bella shut her mouth and waited.

An image began to form in the air, vague and shapeless.

"Almost there…" Sweat beaded her brow.

"Tara…?!"

The sisters' heads snapped towards the door, the picture in the air fading.

Seb was frozen in the doorway, his mouth wide open.

"Did—did you just…?" He stuttered.

"Seb I can explain—" Tara stood up hastily. "It's really not what it looks like!"

He glared. "It looks like you were utilizing an undiscovered science for image projection!"

"Oh, for crying out loud it's called magic!" Tara burst out. "See?!"

She impulsively thrust her hand forward and a golden light burst forth, snaking around the entire room before touching her feet.

"Uh-oh…" Bella muttered.

Tara's eyes widened as she felt her feet leave the ground. "Um…"

"This is a trick, right?!" Seb rambled. "It doesn't make sense!"

Bella put the golden thread aside and ran towards him. "Seb calm down! Tara get down from there!"

Tara had floated even higher. She clasped her hands together, snapped her fingers, rubbed her hands, but nothing worked. The magic wouldn't stop.

"I don't know how!" she panicked. Soon she would hit the ceiling.

Meanwhile, Seb was losing it.

"This is a dream," he muttered desperately. "This is a dream, and I'm going to wake up tomorrow with a headache!"

Everyone had forgot the door was still open.

Sorsha climbed the stairs and saw Leora sipping bubble tea in the hallway.

She leaned against the wall as she stared into one of the rooms, her cell phone in hand. She snapped a couple photos before chuckling to herself.

"Hello?" Sorsha spoke uncertainly.

Leora jumped slightly.  
"Whoa!" She held her her heart. "Don't sneak up on people like that!"

"I wasn't…" Sorsha muttered.

She flapped her hand. "No, no it's not your fault, I get startled really easily," she chuckled. "I'm Leora, and you?"

"Sorsha," she narrowed her eyes. "Sorry, have we met?"

"Nope!" Leora replied cheerfully. "You're thinking of my sister, right?"

The pieces clicked together in Sorsha's head. "You're _Miranda's_ sister."

"Well you don't have to say it like that," she said wryly. "Is there anyone she didn't offend here?"

A few more screams stopped Sorsha's reply.

"Uh, is everything all right in there?" She wondered.

Leora paused, looking her up and down. "You're an Everine right?"

"Yes."  
"Then you should see this for yourself," Leora had an impish smile on her face. "Come on."

Sorsha peeked through the door and gasped.

Seb was rocking back and forth on the ground, mumbling to himself while Tara was flying above him. Bella had latched onto one of her stepsister's ankles and was attempting to drag her back to earth. The air was glittering with a faint gold.

"What on earth…?" Sorsha stepped closer.

The Crossley siblings froze and stared at her.

"Sorsha, this isn't what it looks like!" Bella pleaded.

Leora chuckled as she finished the jelly from her bubble tea. She stepped forward, pushing Sorsha inside before shutting the door.

"Let's sort this out," Leora's resuable container dissolved into nothingness before she flicked her fingers, sending red sparks racing throughout the room.

Leora was a very good mage. Within seconds she'd brought Tara to the ground, calmed Seb with a relaxation spell, and taken control of the whole situation. She'd recapped the basic details and waited to see his reaction.

"So Supreme Everine."

"Yep."

"Regular Everine."

"Uh-huh."

"Normal but recently enchanted."

"You got it."

"And just plain clueless." Seb pointed at himself.

"Exactly!" Leora replied brightly. "You _are _smart!"

He held his head. "This is insane. Totally insane."

Sorsha stayed quiet, but her face was tense. Bella anxiously watched everyone's expressions, while Tara collected the gold thread and put it away.

Leora turned solemn. "Maybe so, but we have a different problem."

"What now?" Bella groaned.

She tilted her head. "There's a new prophecy on the tapestry. We should look."


	5. Chapter 5: Evermoor Assemble!

The threads of May's Shadow had mostly faded away, but new, glowing embroidery had appeared in its place.

The teens ran to the tapestry room and stared.

"All right, so who did it?"

They whirled to see Esmeralda glaring at them.

"To my knowledge no golden thread has been recovered and no Everine has claimed this as their work," Esmeralda declared. She eyed each of them dangerously.

"You better not be here to stab me again," Tara muttered.

"That remains to be seen," she retorted before moderating her tone. "Unless…Sorsha, do you—?"

Sorsha shook her head. "I honestly have no idea where this came from."

The old woman sighed to herself. "Pity…"

"What do you want?" Bella challenged.

Esmeralda levelled her glare at them. "Tell me which one of you _Crossleys_ have been playing us for fools," she spoke stiffly. "Obviously the boy's out."

Bella and Tara exchanged panicked looks.

"Haven't you heard?" Leora ambled forward. "There's a new girl in town."

"As if it could be someone like _you,_" Esmeralda condescended.

A chill fell over the atmosphere.

Leora smiled, but there was zero warmth in her expression.

"My name is Leora Mayshadow, granddaughter of Ling Watson and descendant of one of the Ancestral Three," she announced. "Last I checked, I have more magic in my pinky than you have in your whole withered body, Esmeralda Dwyer."

The old woman's eyes narrowed. "So, it was you!"

Leora smirked. "Even if it was one of us, we wouldn't tell an old bat like _you. _Come on kids," she addressed the others. "Let's go play somewhere else."

For a moment it seemed like Esmeralda would stop them, but Leora levelled a glare at her. After a few tense seconds she moved aside.

"Why did you make us leave?" Tara whispered as they walked further down the hallway.

"I took a picture earlier," Leora replied out of the corner of her mouth.

"Then what did we go look at it for?" Seb hissed.

"The original is always better!" Leora remarked brightly. "Wouldn't you agree?"

She skipped ahead, humming to herself.

"Now here's the important part," Leora told them.

They'd relocated to a nearby grove of trees. Leora pulled three ring boxes from thin air and made Seb jump.

"Do you have to do that?" He held his heart.

"Why three?" Sorsha wondered.

Leora gave one to her and Seb.

"Tara and Bella already have theirs, but the circle isn't complete quite yet," she informed them. "He'll be here soon."

"He…?" Tara felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Sorry I'm late!" Cameron appeared brightly. "What's this about then?"

The mage tossed him the final box. "It's a gift. Tell me if you like it."

Sorsha gasped at the deep blue oval, set in silver like the other girls' rings. The boys both had thicker bands: Seb's ring was steel, interwoven in Celtic knots, while Cameron's was simple pale wood, with delicate vines carved across it.

A strange stillness filled the air when the teens put on their rings.

"It's lovely," Sorsha admired it. "Thank you."

"Yeah, thanks." Seb added.

"Wait, so…what's going on?" Cameron was extra befuddled.

"Um…" Tara hesitated.

"You're the new Circle," Leora declared. She furrowed her brow. "I'm guessing you didn't know your girlfriend is the Supreme Everine."

Cameron blinked. "Wait…what?"

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" Tara's heart pounded.

He was silent.

"I didn't want to lie to you but I was still training and I didn't want to scare you off and thought you'd be mad because I wouldn't be able to find your mom and I already tried but it's not something I can do right now and I'm super sorry—" Tara's rambling was abruptly cut off as Cameron kissed her.

The others stared in disbelief.

"You two get a room!" Bella rolled her eyes.

"Tara, it's all right," Cameron reassured her. "I'm not upset."

"You're not?" She blurted out. "I mean, Thank God you're not! Wait, why not?"

He chuckled. "I've known there was something special about you since the moment you came to Evermoor."

"Really?"

"Also, I saw you sneaking thread from my spider," he admitted. "I put two and two together after I saw how Esmeralda kept treating you. I knew you must've had a good reason for keeping your Everine status a secret, I just…I didn't realize you were a Supreme!"

Tara hugged him gratefully.

"And now that the huge fight between lovers _hasn't_ commenced, let's move on," Leora's voice was airy.

"Wait so what exactly do you want from us?" Seb demanded.

She took a deep breath. "We need to talk about the new prophecy."

The teens stared at the photo.

High above the town was Miranda, swathed in a golden glow, lightning pouring from her eyes. Above her was a sun, half covered by darkness. Its rays stretched across the sky, forming four different images: a sword, a scroll, a wide cup, and a leafy branch.

On the ground below were five figures watching her. Each of them had a different Chinese word embroidered on their chests as they stood in a circle. It was obvious who was who from the details.

"I think it's obvious why I found each of you," Leora crossed her arms. "These Chinese characters are for the five elements."

"You mean four elements." Sorsha corrected.

"No, I mean five," Leora was unperturbed. "There are five Chinese elements, Wood, Fire, Metal, Earth, and Water. My theory is that each of you personify an element, and you'll need to work together to stop Miranda. Any questions?"

There was a brief pause.

"What was happening in the room earlier?" Seb swivelled to stare at his sisters.

"I would like to know that as well," Sorsha interjected. She hesitantly met Seb's gaze.

Cameron blinked. "Wait, what happened?"

"Oooo this!" Leora swiped her phone screen before giggling. "See? Total chaos!"

He couldn't help but laugh at the scene. His girlfriend was flailing in the air while Bella held onto her ankle, panicking. Meanwhile, Seb was tucked into a ball on the floor.

"Why would you take a picture of us?!" Bella hid her face. "I look terrible!"

"At least your face isn't caught at a weird angle," Tara grumbled.

"And at least you don't look like a turtle," Seb retorted. "Now can you tell us what you were doing before you started flying around?"

Bella took a deep breath. "We were trying to remember something Ryder gave me before sending me home."

He snorted. "And why would he do that?"

Leora coughed. "Apparently my sister has lost her mind. Ryder tried to contain her with a spell to give Bella time to get away with the mystery object."

"Whatever it is can stop Miranda," Tara finished. "And—wait, how did you know that?! We never told you!"

She winked. "I know a lot of things you never told me."

"Lord help us all," Seb muttered under his breath.

"Miranda's returning to Evermoor?" Cameron inquired.

"Yep," Leora responded cheerily. "I'm not sure why, but the prophecy confirms it."

Tara moved back to the tapestry picture. "So, there's going to be a solar eclipse and we're supposed to stop her from doing…something."

"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Sorsha muttered.

"But I don't get it, what's the point of the stuff in the sky?" Bella protested.

Leora laughed. "Sorry gang, can't help you there."

The Canadian girl stood, dusting off her jeans. She took her phone from them and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Cameron scrambled to his feet. The others did the same. "You can't just drop the bomb on us and go!"

Her eyes glittered. "Sorry Cameron. Even if I wanted to, I _can't _help, at least, not yet. The first part is something you guys need to do on your own."

Tara scoffed. "Seriously? You're abandoning us?!"

"I'll be around, don't worry," Leora beamed. "See, I'm Nick Fury, and you're the Avengers! My job's to bring you together and guide you. Besides, I hate doing research."

Before any of them could stop her, she trotted away.

"Oh, one last thing!" She called over her shoulder. "The eclipse is in two weeks, so she'll probably get out by then. See ya!"

The teens relocated to the library to do some research on the symbols. Mrs. Levin had welcomed them happily before returning to her tasks. The building was quite deserted save for a few people reading here and there.

"It has to mean something, right?" Seb insisted.

"Maybe it's related to Arthur's legends!" Tara lit up. "Excalibur, the Holy Grail…"

"That's two out of four, genius," Bella smirked.

"Well I don't see _you_ contributing." She sulked

"Okay, okay!" Sorsha intervened. "Let's split up to cover more ground."

Sorsha, Seb, and Bella approached the front.

"Hello children!" Mrs. Levin greeted. "Do you need something?"

Bella read her nameplate. "Hi Mrs. Levin…am I saying that right?"

"Yes, yes," the older woman smiled. "And you are?"

"I'm Sorsha, this is Bella and Seb," Sorsha introduced quickly. "So, you're the new librarian?"

She nodded. "Is there something you need?"

Seb eyed her suspiciously. "Do you know where they keep the books on Chinese culture?"

Mrs. Levin frowned. "I'm not sure how much we have on that, but I'll check the system."

As she typed into the computer Bella noticed she wore a winged metal pendant with some sort of spiral in the centre.

"Nice necklace," she commented.

"Thank you dear," Mrs. Levin touched it gently. "It was a gift."

The computer beeped, cutting off the conversation.

"All right, it seems we may have had a few, but apparently they were never returned," Mrs. Levin informed them. "The computers might be more useful for this."

"Well thanks anyway," Bella said.

The trio were about to walk away when Seb turned.

"Do you have any relatives visiting you here?" He questioned.

The girls looked at him as if he were insane.

"No. Why do you ask?" Mrs. Levin raised her eyebrows.

"Sorry, it's just I ran into a few people…" his voice trailed off. "Never mind."

The teens moved to one of the ancient desktops and Sorsha began logging in.

"What were you going on about?" Bella hissed fiercely.

"I met two people earlier today with similar pendants," Seb spoke in an undertone. "Strangers…it just doesn't feel like a coincidence."

"Maybe it's a fashion trend," Bella told him. "Remember Silly Bands? Fads like this happen often. It wouldn't surprise me if Evermoor's behind the times."

"Yeah…I suppose," Seb sighed.

"So where should we start?" Sorsha interrupted, leading them back to the task at hand.

Cameron and Tara had gone deeper into the stacks. Thanks to Cameron's immense knowledge of the library layout he'd been able to lead her directly to the history section.

"Culture and symbols should be around here…" Cameron riffled through the books.

Tara felt a sudden warmth. She lifted Miss T's jewel to find it glowing.

"What…?"

She noticed a large tome in the corner of the shelf and grabbed it, dragging it towards her. Under the light of Miss T's jewel, she saw the image of a scroll imprinted on the black leather cover.

_"'__You saw her?'" _

Tara shoved the gem under her shirt and hid the book in her jacket.

Cameron scanned through a dusty volume, unconcerned.

"Did you hear that?" She whispered.

"Hear what?" He asked.

"Never mind," Tara dismissed. At that moment she heard the voice again.

_"'—__up. There's no way we can take her on our own.'_

_'__Why Nahundi though? Seriously Prax?' _

_'__The Horae are—'"_

"I found something!" Cameron hissed, breaking her concentration.

He pointed to a photo he'd found.

Tara looked and her eyes widened. "It's—"

"Exactly like the one on the tapestry," Cameron finished.

Bella appeared at a run, hair flying.

"Guys!" She hissed. "I think you should come look at this!"


	6. Chapter 6: The Social Life

Sorsha had found reports of a strange anomaly in Windsor Forest. A group of trees had suddenly warped in strange directions, creating walls of impenetrable, living wood around a clearing, while mysterious green lights had been witnessed in the area.

"Windsor Forest is where Ryder and Miranda are," Bella confirmed. "I can't be sure, but it…it looks right."

"No offense, but…how is this helpful?" Tara demanded.

Seb crossed his arms. "Since we know where Miranda is, we should be able to calculate how much time it'll take her to reach Evermoor."

"True…except for the fact she has magic."

Everyone turned to stare at Cameron.

"For all we know she can teleport," he spoke gravely.

"Fair point," Sorsha admitted. "But perhaps the leaf we're searching for is from this location."

Tara nodded. "It's a start at least."

Cameron opened his book once more. "This is called the Nanteos Cup. Look familiar?"

The other teens scrutinized the photo.

"Definitely similar to the one on tapestry," Seb agreed. "That's an odd cup though."

"It's either a wide cup or shallow bowl," Cameron corrected. "So, you're half right. Its proper name is a mazer. This one supposedly has supernatural healing abilities."

Bella scowled. "But why's it broken?"

"The cup was created during the fourteenth or fifteenth century," he explained. "According to folklore, people who drink from it are restored to full health."

Tara raised her eyebrows. "I guess we'll need it to make Miranda normal again."

"Now the only problem…" Sorsha was pensive. "How do we get it?"

The five decided to take a quick break in the ice cream shop.

"Welcome!" The Mayor beamed. "I hope you're all enjoying yourselves!"

Sorsha smiled while the others winced slightly.

"What is it, Father?" she asked.

He pulled out a brightly coloured poster. "Tomorrow we'll be having a small social to get to know our new librarian!" He boomed. "Everyone's invited! Even your houseguest!"

Tara blanched. "Wait, how do you know we have a guest?"

The Mayor guffawed. "Why I met her just the other day in the shop! She was most polite!"

"It was when I showed her around town," Seb murmured. He knew his stepsister's mind well. "Don't jump to conclusions."

She exhaled. "Okay, okay…"

"I'll be off then!" He gave Sorsha a quick peck on the cheek before bounding away.

The teens focused on eating the sweet treats in silence.

Tara readjusted her position and her hidden book fell with a heavy thud.

"What's that?" Seb asked suspiciously.

"A book…"

"Is that from the library?"

"Maybe…"

Seb's face reddened. "You can't steal books from the library!"

"My question is why you'd steal books," Bella muttered. "As if you weren't already enough of a nerd…"

"It doesn't have the bar code on it!" Tara hurriedly picked it up and showed him. "See?"

"Is that supposed to make it right?" He argued.

"That's Miss T's book."

Everyone froze at Cameron's revelation.

"I saw her with it a couple times," he shared.

Tara pursed her lips. "I think it might be helpful, considering…"

"Considering what?" Sorsha's voice was wary.

Tara hesitated again. "Miss T wasn't exactly an ordinary librarian…"

At that moment she plunged into the narrative of what really happened during Storm Week.

Ludo and Jake were extra excited for the upcoming social.

"If we win the raffle, we'll get a tour _and _front row seats to the eclipse from an observatory!" Ludo had raved. "We might even see aliens!"

Sentient space species were their current obsession.

"Even if we don't, it's going to be a super cool event," Jake agreed. "But there's still a problem…we're out of money."

Ludo hissed. "I guess we shouldn't have bought the solar eclipse goggles online."

"Or the telescope."

"Or the cryptozoologist kit…"

The two boys had been discussing in the kitchen while a ruby-eyed mouse peeked from a crack in the wall.

It squeaked before running away.

"Did you hear that?" Jake had shushed Ludo.

"What?"

"I think I heard a mouse," He told him.

Ludo shuddered. "Uh oh. My mom's not gonna be happy if there's a nest somewhere."

"Maybe we should get a cat."

"Hello boys!" Leora greeted cheerfully as she waltzed towards them. "Why the long faces?"

Jake sighed. "We really want to win the raffle, but we don't have any money to buy tickets."

She pursed her lips. "Huh. What's the prize?"

"A weeklong tour with visits to landmarks and other interesting places that concludes at Norman Lockyer Observatory to view the solar eclipse," Ludo recited. "I heard they have five tickets."

A mischievous smirk spread across her face. "Tell you what boys, let's make a deal."

They watched her suspiciously.

"I'll lend you the money to buy as many tickets as you want," Leora began. "On a couple of conditions…"

By the time Tara finished her shocking story, it was evening. The teens had gone their separate ways after learning they'd been volunteered by their parents to help at the social the next day. They were annoyed with Tara for keeping the truth to herself, but they'd accepted her apologies and agreed to do some individual investigations in the meantime.

They'd just finished a light meal at home when Tara approached her stepbrother.

"Horae, Prax, and Nahundi?" Seb repeated.

"Please just research it," She begged.

"How am I supposed to even _spell _those?"

"Please!" she pleaded. "I wouldn't ask you to do this if it wasn't super important."

He crossed his arms. "Really? So, it's important like how you kept quiet while I blamed myself for Miranda practically kidnapping Bella."

Tara's head lowered. "I'm sorry. I know you're still mad at me for that, but I'm going to try to help Bella regain her memories. We'll talk later, okay?"

"Fine." Seb was curt. "But you owe me."

The Supreme Everine's plan derailed when Bella went to bed early.

"It's been a really long day," she had admitted, yawning. "I'm sorry, it's just…I fainted, remember? I don't want to do that again."

She'd then visited Aunt Bridget, who seemed extremely distracted and told her she was going to meditate in the forest for a while. Tara was astonished but knew better than to stop her mentor. She'd gone on similar trips in the past, so Tara could only hope she came back soon.

In the end, Tara decided to knock on Leora's door.

"Come in!" The Canadian was friendly. "What's up?"

Tara took a deep breath. "Can your sister teleport?"

Leora snickered. "Uh…no, I mean…short distances are okay, but I'm better at transportation magic." She sipped tea from a porcelain cup and sighed in contentment. "What brought this on?"

"I just…she vanished with Bella and Ryder in a huge flash of light, so I wasn't sure…" Tara fidgeted. _Then again, we might have found her in Windsor Forest but…_

The woman took another long sip before answering. "That was a portal spell, not transportation. For that to work, she needed to have established a fixed point to return to. Then, wherever she went, Miranda could return to that point instantaneously. It's only good for one use but it doesn't use much energy."

She raised an eyebrow. "So how good are you at transportation spells?"

The mage had finished her tea, and Tara noticed the words GREEN GROTTO engraved on the mug and saucer. "It might be easier to just show you."

She snapped her fingers and scarlet mist enveloped the pair. Tara blinked for a moment and reopened them to find herself in a large cafe. No one had noticed their arrival, being glued to their smartphones or engrossed in conversation.

"Hey you!" An employee spotted them and shook his fist from behind the cash register. "You keep stealing our cups!"

"Why do you think I pay extra?" Leora hollered back. "Anyway, here's this one! Bye!"

She set the dishes on a nearby table before snapping her fingers again.

Tara blinked. They'd returned to the manor guest room.

"Impressive," she voiced. "Was that Canada?"

"Yep, my favourite shop!" The mage confirmed enthusiastically. "I popped back the other day for bubble tea too. Britain has a disturbing lack of good bubble tea."

"But don't they notice you…?"

"Those outside the spell get disoriented for a few seconds," Leora explained. "Then their own heads create logical reasons and/or false memories of me walking in and out. Isn't the human mind fascinating?"

Suddenly the day felt extremely overwhelming. "I'll just…go now."

"Sure, just remember," Her eyes twinkled. "Sometimes invisibility is just a trick of opal's light!"

The social was a fun affair.

There were various stalls with goods at slashed prices. Games had been set up with candy prizes, as well as a raffle and a dunking tank.

All the teens had been pressed into service. Tara switched shifts with her brother so she could keep him away from Sorsha, and together the two girls manned the games area.

"You totally cheated!"

"Did not!"

"Did to!"

"Did not!"

Leora and a little girl glared comically at each other. Smiles threatened to break across their faces.

"This means war!" Leora warned dramatically.

The child shot her with a water gun and sped away.

"Get back here!" She roared. A group of kids appeared, and the mage began chasing them, pretending to be a monster. The little ones giggled hysterically as they ran.

"Interesting town ya got here," A Southern accent drawled.

Sorsha and Tara turned to see a tall, tanned woman with freckles, sandy hair, and warm dark eyes.

"I'm Letty Mizuki," her voice was rich and twanged. "An' before you ask, my dad was half-Japanese. Anyway, heard this place would be good ta see the eclipse from, an' that blog was right!"

"Blog?" Sorsha raised her eyebrow.

"People are excited, see," Letty explained. "Some cities have too much light an' dust ta see much. It's quieter out here."

Tara stared at her. "Oh…why are you in England?"

Sorsha elbowed her.

"I live here," she laughed at the expression on the girls' faces. "Well, nearby. Moved here in my teens. Anyway, I won't be surprised if ya get a lot more people in town soon!"

"Sorry if I was rude," Tara apologized hastily.

Letty waved it away. "I git it a lot, considerin' I don't _sound _British. See ya gals later!"

She shook hands with Sorsha, then Tara, but the moment they touched hands Tara gasped.

"Tara…?"

Sorsha's voice faded as the Supreme Everine was pulled into another vision.


	7. Chapter 7: Contact

_"__Finally."_

_Tara blinked to see Miss T smiling at her. _

_"__Do you know how hard it is when you're not being receptive?" she scolded gently._

_She stared._

_"__The Shadow is hibernating," the old woman lifted her wrist with the golden bracelet. "I'm sorry for the rough treatment, you saw what happened last time I tried to come during the night—"_

_Tara threw herself at her and buried her face in Miss T's shoulder, sobbing. _

_"__I missed you!" she cried. _

_She patted her back. "All is not lost," she whispered into her ear. "But you mustn't be hasty. Think before you act. My book has what you need." _

"I think she's waking up!"

"Well it's about time. How are we supposed to get anything done without our fearless leader?"

"You don't have to be so sarcastic, Bella."

"Please! We have four good brains; I don't see why we have to…" Bella stopped talking abruptly as Tara opened her eyes.

She was in her room. Cameron was beside her bed, immensely relieved. Sorsha was flipping through the book while Bella and Seb were by the door.

"How long?" Tara croaked. Cameron hurriedly helped her sit up and gave her a glass of water.

"A few hours," Seb told her. "You're okay right?"

She nodded. "Just a vision. Can you pass the book, Sorsha?"

The girl frowned. "All the pages are blank."

"Not for long." Tara pulled Miss T's pendant from under her shirt and held it over the tome.

For a moment nothing happened, then text began to appear. Slow at first, it sped up, black letters filling in the emptiness. Line by line it continued as a wave of white washed over the entire volume, causing the words to glow before fading back to normal.

"Now that was flashy," Bella snorted. "Since your magic necklace can do that, I vote you read it."

"I'll update her on what we've found out," Cameron volunteered. "You probably need to help the family pack."

"Pack?!" Tara got panicky flashbacks to when they'd moved.

"Jake and Ludo won the raffle so they're going on tour with the parents, including Crimson," Bella informed her. "Leora _graciously _said she'd keep an eye on us for them."

"That I did!" Leora appeared from nowhere, scaring them all.

"Stop it! That's like the third time!" Seb held his heart.

"Fourth…but who's counting?" She chuckled.

Cameron cleared his throat. "I guess I'll update both of you then?"

"And after you fainted we told them it was too much sun or something," He explained. "We took you back here to rest, and that's when Seb and Bella told us what they'd been researching."

Tara gaped. "Wait, Bella? She hates researching!"

"Maybe," Cameron shrugged. "Anyway, she was able to identify the sword image from the tapestry as an ancient Greek design."

Leora stared. "Did you just say ancient Greece?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "As for the Horae, Prax, and Nahundi, they're all gods of order. Prax is short for—"

"Praxidike," _(pronounced Prax-E-Dee-Key)_ Leora interrupted, her eyes widening. "The Horae are actually three goddesses, and Nahundi is a god. Where did you hear these terms?"

Tara hesitated. "I heard someone whispering about it. I'm not sure how though."

Leora stood. "Great. Just great. Excuse me you two, I'll be right back. Have fun reading."

She popped away in a short burst of red light.

Sorsha was on her way home when she noticed a tour bus rolling into Evermoor.

"I guess Letty wasn't kidding," she muttered as people spilled out. She texted Seb about the new development when someone ran into her.

"Hey!" she yelled. The man didn't bother to stop, giving a quick "sorry" before running deeper into town.

"He probably needs to use the loo," another tourist commented. "He was jumpy the whole way here!"

At that moment Sorsha's phone began to ring. She hesitated while reading the ID but, in the end, answered.

"Hello?"

Seb was loading his parents' suitcases into the car when he saw Percy and Gwen Madoc near the house, chatting, when Leora appeared behind them.

"What are you _doing _here?" she hissed angrily.

"Our job," Gwen raised an eyebrow.

"I should've known," Leora crossed her arms. "Themis always has to meddle at the worst times."

"Themis isn't the issue here," Percy responded heatedly. "Your attitude is. We're not meddling, we're dealing with a volatile situation with an increasing threat level."

A few sparks of red flew in the air. "This doesn't have anything to do with you!"

"It does," Gwen interrupted, her hand on her belt. "Don't you know what your sister is planning?"

"Hey, Seb, help me with this?" Rob called loudly to his son. He couldn't understand why his son was just standing in the driveway.

He ducked. "Coming!"

Bella was in her backyard when she stumbled, her hands automatically reaching forward to catch her fall.

Her full weight crashed against a plant; its sweet scent was released into the air.

Suddenly she remembered:

_"__I thought you were just a gardener. You never said you had magic." _

_"__Sorry for the lie, Bell." _

_"__It's fine I guess…but what's that?"_

_They'd been in a small cafe, where Miranda had left them as she ran errands._

_Ryder had retracted his hand nervously. "What? Nothing." _

_Bella grabbed his wrist and stared. _

_A round burn mark was branded on Ryder's left forearm. It was already fading, the shape indistinct._

_"__Did she do this?" Bella's tone was forcedly mellow._

_Ryder jerked backwards, hiding it under his sleeve. "No, it's…it's nothing. Forget it."_

_The scene shifted. She was in a seedy hotel room. Bella was lying on one of the beds, staring at the ceiling._

_"__Stop…" a pained whisper strained the air. _

_Bella didn't move._

_"__Stop this…" _

_Bella stood up and looked in the bathroom. _

_Miranda was sitting in the tub, fully dressed, as water surged and waved around her. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her teeth clenched. _

_"__Miranda?" Bella's voice was soft. _

_Her eyes snapped open, flashing white and brown. _

_"__Get back!" her voice was imperious yet haggard. "It isn't safe!" _

_Ryder entered the room and took in the scene. He rushed to the washroom and shut the door behind him._

_Bella could only watch as green light poured through the cracks, and someone screamed. _

Tara and Cameron were arguing when Seb and Bella burst in frantically.

"I remembered something!"

"Leora isn't telling us everything!"

Their voices overlapped each other.

Tara pursed her lips. "Whatever it is has to wait until tomorrow," she sighed reluctantly, her eyes closing. "I'm exhausted."

The next day the five teens met in the manor.

Fiona, Rob, Crimson, Ludo, and Jake had left early that morning in their car. Crimson had done the sign of the evil eye towards Leora, but besides that the farewells went smoothly.

Afterwards Leora had gone off somewhere, so Seb took this moment to fill the others in on her suspicious conversation with Percy and Gwen.

"Not to mention she also knew all those weird names!" he concluded. "I don't think we can trust her!"

Bella then shared the memories she'd gleaned.

"Wait you touched the plant and then it happened?" Sorsha was skeptical.

"I can't explain it either, but it worked."

Finally, Tara began explaining what they'd found. She sat apart from Cameron; the air visibly tense.

"There was a spell in the book," Tara shared. "It's a spell of cleansing."

"We think it's the way to defeat Miranda," Cameron cut her off. "But—"

"The spell can end in two ways." Tara crossed her arms. "The first option is to cleanse her essence."

"There's no guarantee it'll work, and it's more dangerous." Cameron spoke curtly. "The percentage of failure is greater with that one."

"And the other is…" Tara faltered. "The other is to cleanse her from the earth."

"From the earth?" Sorsha repeated slowly.

"So basically, kill her," Bella spoke bluntly. "Sorry, last I checked I never signed up to kill anyone."

"Miranda won't feel the same," Seb hesitated. "But still, this seems a little extreme."

Tara's mouth set in a thin line. "I want to do the first option, but Cameron thinks we should vote on it."

"I can guess what option you're voting for," Bella chuckled acidly.

He glared at her. "You don't understand! Miss T was like a grandmother to me! And thanks to Miranda she's dead!"

Sorsha tentatively raised her hand. "I think I missed that part of the briefing."

"Long story short, it's Miranda's fault that Miss T's been…banished? Killed?" Tara wrinkled her forehead. "I'm not sure exactly what to classify trapped in limbo with a deadly spirit."

"If we try to 'restore' her and fail, we're all dead!" Cameron argued.

"Wait, how are we all dead?" Seb blinked.

"The spell would backfire on us and we'd be at Miranda's mercy," Tara explained reluctantly.

"So, option 'cleanse from earth' is safer," Cameron was stubborn.

"You're forgetting something," Sorsha folded her hands in her lap. "Do you really think Leora will let us kill her sister?"

Silence echoed, broken only by the squeak of mice.

"She brought us together hoping to fulfill the prophecy, but I doubt she'd do that if it'd end in her sister's death," Sorsha continued. "Also, once the eclipse is over, she'll take her revenge, if we're not dead by then, that is."

Seb frowned. "I…I guess we should vote then."

"All those in favour for option one?" Tara raised her hand. Bella immediately raised hers as well.

"I think there's still some good in Miranda," she remarked.

Sorsha also raised her hand. "It is unwise to strike harshly without knowing more of the risks."

In the end Seb lifted his hand too.

"I guess we have a majority then," Tara sighed with relief. "Cameron—"

He stood abruptly and left.

"Should we—?" Seb hesitated.

"Give him some time," Tara said wearily. She removed Miss T's pendant and book from her bag. "We got a spell to research."

The scroll on the front of the book shimmered.

Cameron kicked over a log.

It wasn't fair.

Tara had told him how she'd gotten Miss T's opal and his previous hatred towards Miranda had intensified. Before he'd only disliked her because of what she did to his friends. Now that he knew the full story it was almost too much to handle.

He sauntered into the grove of trees before sitting. He observed his wooden ring sourly.

"I don't know what I want anymore," he muttered.

Leaves rustled in the wind and a strange tranquility filled the air.

His mind emptied.

Time slowed…

As he slipped into a reverie Cameron started to sort through his emotions.

He'd reacted like a child. His grief and rage over Miss T's fate was justified, but needless killing wouldn't help their situation.

The barb of unfairness softened, then withdrew. He saw how revenge would only tear them all apart, perhaps cause even greater damage than Miranda's magic. He saw how bitterness could taint a soul, trapping it forever in an angry state of being.

A twinge of embarrassment snaked through him as he truly saw himself. He'd accepted his wrongdoing. It was time to learn from his mistake and move—

Cameron suddenly choked, hearing words that weren't there.

_"__You know the drill. Get the civilians—"_

A sharp crack ripped the silence apart as a body tumbled from thin air.

"Cameron?" Tara entered the grove. "Are you…wait who's that?"

The feeling was gone. He could move again. Cameron and Tara tried to lift the person to his feet, but he flopped like a rag doll, forcing them to catch him.

"What…?" His eyes widened. "Where did he come from?"


	8. Chapter 8: The Cards Are Dealt

Leora returned that evening to see Esmeralda locking the tapestry door.

"You can't do that." She protested mildly.

The old woman smiled icily. "I think I can. The less time you brats spend here the less trouble you'll give all of us."

The mage tilted her head to the side. "I don't think so."

A mouse squeaked within the walls, whiskers twitching.

"Please," Esmeralda sneered. "You're nothing but a worthless good-for-nothing living off the legacy of a name."

"Look who's talking," She crossed her arms. "I almost feel bad for you being stuck with that attitude for the rest of your life."

Esmeralda moved as if to push her, but Leora caught the old woman's wrists.

"Then again," she smiled tightly. "I did say almost."

A strange thump echoed throughout the manor. Sorsha looked up briefly, frowning, but her attention was diverted as the unconscious one stirred.

"Ryder!" Bella gently shook him. "Ryder, you need to wake up!"

Seb scowled. "What happened to him?"

"He was delaying Miranda, remember?" Tara reminded. "I got here late, so…Cameron?"

He shook his head. "I'm…I'm not sure," he spoke slowly. "I calmed down…I was at peace, then I couldn't breathe. I heard someone mention civilians and that's when Ryder fell out of nowhere."

Tara and Cameron had carried Ryder to the manor where they met Bella, Seb and Sorsha, who were still deciphering the spell's old, ornate language. They'd been shocked, but immediately helped get him to a guest room.

Bella held Ryder's hand sadly. His face was haggard and his clothes were torn, small cuts and bruises all over his hands and arms.

"Well, he looks like a mess," Leora observed as she entered. "How'd he get here?"

Cameron threw his hands in the air. "I don't know! He literally just appeared in front of me!"

"Where?" She questioned.

"Beside the trees where you briefed us."

Leora nodded, her expression inscrutable. "Ah…I see."

She approached Ryder, laying a hand on his forehead and his chest. Bella watched her from the other side of the bed.

"Can you do something?" Sorsha pleaded.

The mage hesitated as red feelers emerged from her fingertips. "I'm not the best at healing," she admitted. "But maybe I can figure out what's wrong."

A shrill scream interrupted them, causing everyone to jump.

"What was that?" Seb leaped to his feet to investigate, then hesitated.

"Go on," Leora told him, her eyes fixed on Ryder. "I'll see what's happening here…"

The main staircase was the scene of the accident. One of the Everines had her hands over her mouth as she stood on the landing while a few other ladies were there as well, one bending over a prone figure.

"Is everyone okay?" Seb exclaimed.

"I met her going up the stairs, she just collapsed!" The poor woman shook as her friend rubbed her back comfortingly. "She just—"

Sorsha, who'd silently followed, flew towards them. "Madame Esmeralda!"

The Everine tending to her looked up. "She's breathing, but we need to get her to the hospital," she outlined tersely. "For now, we'll postpone our meeting."

Sorsha ran into the guest room and shoved Leora

"Whoa, watch it!" Tara jumped out of the way as Leora crashed into the wall.

Bella stared at her in shock, still holding Ryder's hand. "What on—?!"

"You had something to do with this!" Sorsha accused, her eyes teary. "You must've!"

Leora peeled her face off the wallpaper. "Ow…"

"What's wrong?!" Tara exclaimed.

The mage cracked her neck, wincing. "Have you ever thought about trying out for football…I mean rugby? You're really good at body checking."

"Don't play games!" She screeched as Seb dragged her away. "You might've killed Esmeralda!"

The allegation hung heavy in the air. Cameron's eyes peeked over the book, Miss T's pendant in one hand.  
"I didn't do anything to her," Leora refuted.

"She fell down the stairs," Seb told the others before turning to Sorsha. "It was an accident."

Leora crossed her arms. "Of course, you'd be concerned," her eyes narrowed. "After all, Esmeralda was pestering you to figure out who wove the prophecy."

Tara stiffened. "Is that true?"

"You can't trust her!" Cameron suddenly straightened. "She won't use that information with good intentions!"

Leora sighed loudly. "She kept calling you so much you even agreed to spy for her. I'd say you have more motive than me for pushing the old lady down the stairs."

A brittle tension encased the room. The two stared at each other, neither giving way.

Sorsha stepped back. "I guess…I guess it was an accident," she still eyed her suspiciously. "But the timing was…impeccable."

"There is such a thing as coincidence you know," Leora smirked. "Maybe consider that before you start flinging around accusations. Any more questions?"

Seb shoved his hands in his pockets. "Speaking of timing…what were you talking about earlier with the Madocs?"

"Uh…how much did you hear?"

"You mentioned Themis," He told her. "The way you said it inclines me to believe you aren't referring to the mythological goddess."

The mage sat heavily on the edge of the bed and waved her hand, causing red light to surround them.

"What's Themis?" Cameron questioned. The book lay forgotten on his lap.

Leora didn't respond immediately. "Themis was the Greek personification of justice. The Lady Justice motif was based on her."

"The one who wields the sword of law," Seb mused.

"Exactly. It's an organization created to police those with…unusual powers. They're based in North America."

The pieces clicked together for him. "So, they're here—"

"To kill my sister," Leora's voice was tight. "She's too dangerous, at least, they think so. Those names you mentioned earlier, Horae, Praxidike, and Nahundi? They're codenames for active operatives. And the fact the sword is a _Greek _design on the tapestry…I should've seen this coming!"

They glanced at each other uneasily.

"We can't let them get close," she clenched her fists. "Trust me, all they'll do is make Miranda harder to deal with. They won't be able to beat her."

"What kind of firepower do they have?" Sorsha demanded.

"Some magic, enchanted weapons…nothing that'll hurt Miranda too badly, but it could definitely kill you guys." she growled. The air became charged as her frustration boiled.

"Uh…" Bella raised her hand. "I hate to change the subject, but about Ryder…"

The red sparks in her eyes died as Leora stared at the sleeping teen.

"There's no reason he should be like this," she muttered. "I couldn't sense anything wrong with him."

Bella was anguished. "So, you have no idea what it actually is?"

"Isn't that what I just said?" Leora retorted before sighing. "Sorry. The pressure's starting to get to me."

Silence dominated the room.

"So, we'll have to fight Themis _and_ Miranda at the same time?" Tara exhaled heavily. "Great. As if we needed more complications."

"Hopefully Ryder will wake up in time to help out," Bella muttered.

"Agreed. In the meantime, we should get our facts straight," Leora frowned. "With Themis' meddling things just got a lot more difficult."

A large whiteboard hung on the guest bedroom wall, everyone comparing notes.

"Good thing I have big pockets," Leora commented wryly. "Let's take a look."

Sorsha marked Windsor Forest on a map and measured the distance to Evermoor while Seb outlined each of the tapestry's symbols to match it with something they'd found. Cameron and Tara were working on translating the cleansing spell while Bella meditated with Leora in an attempt to recover more memories.

"So, the Nanteos Cup is where we'll put the potion?" Seb rubbed his forehead.

Cameron nodded. "After we mix a special potion, it needs to get 'blessed.' I think it's an incantation, but that page is missing so we'll have to improvise. Finally, Miranda has to drink it to complete the cleansing."

"All right," Seb frowned. "The cup is self-explanatory. I guess the sword means Themis will interfere," He wrote it on the board. "Then the scroll symbolized you guys finding the ritual—"

"What about the branch?" Sorsha stared at the photo of the prophecy. "Pine needles maybe?"

Bella's eyes flew open. "Pine needles?"

She checked the photo on her own phone, hastily zooming in on the picture.

"It's not very clear, but it looks like the plant outside!" She reported.

"Rosemary…" Leora muttered. "Interesting…"

Sorsha nodded. "It's also known as anthos."

Tara gasped. "No way…anthos is one of the ingredients…"

Suddenly the floor was yanked from under Bella's feet.

_"__Anthos is one of the ingredients, got it," Ryder whispered on the phone. _

_Bella had been asleep, but for some reason she'd been awakened. _

_"__Okay, okay! Yeah I'll get it just—if she finds out—" He glanced nervously at the other bed. Miranda was sleeping deeply, but a spark of white pierced the air. _

_"__I gotta go," Ryder turned off the phone. He touched his arm reflexively._

_Suddenly the scene shifted, nebulous and uncertain. Bella tried to unlock the memory, but the mist refused to move._

_A thudding noise filled her ears. Stubborn, she shoved the sound aside and reached for the curtain of white, getting closer and closer…_

_"__Idiot!" _

_Something rammed into her and forced her back. _

_"__No!" Bella screeched. _

_"__Calm down girl, you'll get another chance!" Someone snorted. "One that doesn't force you to slow your own heartbeat." _

_Her breath caught. "I did that?" _

_"__Yes. You almost gave your friends a heart attack by the way." The voice was nowhere and everywhere at the same time. "Now your body's going to need some time to recover."_

_She felt a strange warmth emanating from her ring. "What…?" _

_"__Now go on! Back to your body!" the voice commanded. _

_"__I can't just go without anything!" Bella protested._

_The person scoffed. "Typical teenager. I can show you one thing until you fully remember, okay? Don't forget this!" _


	9. Chapter 9: Players & Pawns

Bella had been unconscious for two days, during which their parents had called. Tara had successfully deflected by saying Bella was out of the house, yet she still worried for her stepsister.

"Do you keep having to do that?" Sorsha coughed.

Leora looked up from burning the rosemary by Bella's bedside. "It's our best shot at waking her up," she spoke cheerily. "You're allowed to leave if you want!"

Sorsha huffed and left the room.

Tara and Seb were mixing the potion portion of the spell in Seb's room, Tara due to her magical knowledge and Seb for his technical expertise. They'd been working on it for the past two days, causing both locals to feel left out.

Cameron was sitting outside the manor when Sorsha joined him.

"Nothing new yet," she reported.

He sighed. "Great."

The two sat in silence as the clouds rolled past.

"I don't think they're telling us everything," Sorsha stated.

He stretched. "Who exactly?"

"All of them."

Cameron stared at her.

"Bella's blackouts are unnatural," she began. "A spell that wipes her memory shouldn't act this way."

"Well she _is _trying to break it." He scowled. "And since when have you become an expert on spells?"

She scoffed. "So, you haven't noticed how Tara's been keeping me away from Seb?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "Um…"

"And Seb…Seb doesn't even talk to me anymore. There are nine days left until the eclipse and—" Sorsha stopped speaking as she received a text.

"And?" Cameron prodded.

"And…I think we have company," Sorsha stood. Cameron looked to the gate and stood as well.

Gwen Madoc was shoulder to shoulder with Percy, Letty Mizuki, a tall black man, a shorter East Asian girl, and an Arabic woman with piercing dark eyes. The only thing they had in common was the silver pendant dangling around their necks.

"Hello!" Gwen smiled darkly. "We came to have a chat! Care to invite us in?"

"We'd rather not," Cameron replied. "Haven't you heard of stranger danger?"

"We could beat you two pipsqueaks easy," Letty snorted. The tall man nudged her with a warning.

"In that case, tell your friends we'll be back in five," Percy waved. "See ya then!"

The group left quietly, glaring at them.

"We're not important," Sorsha hissed. "Haven't you realized by now?"

Bella opened her eyes to see the pile of rosemary in a metal pot, still burning.

The flame was thin and orange, releasing sweet smoke into the air. She breathed in deeply as the colour twirled and folded. She could practically taste it on her tongue. Its mesmerizing light caused her to reach forward…

"Bella no!" Seb rushed in to see his sister grab a fistful of the fiery herb. He caught her wrist and shook the plant from her grip, stamping out the sparks.

"Are you—?" Seb's voice faded when he saw her palm, smooth and clean. "Why aren't you burnt?"

His sister stared at her own hand, the ring glimmering on her finger. "I don't…how long was I out?"

"Two days. Seriously, our family's girls seem to have a problem remaining conscious," he yawned and turned to leave.

"Hey Seb," she called out. "Thanks."

He smiled. "What are brothers for?"

Tara was dozing off on the living room couch when she felt someone in front of her.

"The jade," Leora whispered.

"What?"

"The jade that was stolen, it can be used for a variation of the cleansing ritual," she sat beside her.

The Everine's eyes snapped open. "That's why you had it on your phone!"

She nodded. "Themis will use them against us if we don't do what they want."

"Great…" Tara muttered.

Cameron peeked in. "Speaking of Themis, they want to see all of us."  
"Good thing I woke up then," Bella entered, munching on a piece of toast. Seb shoved a glass of juice in her hand before nodding at them.

"Let's find out what they want." Leora led the way.

Sorsha had remained outside, glaring at the assembled crowd as the others exited the house. Bella drained her glass and shoved the rest of the toast in her mouth before joining them.

"Leora," Letty greeted with twinkling eyes. "You familiar with Nahundi and my fellow Horae?"

The mage ignored her, pointing out the newcomers to the teens. "That's Dan, Sun-ah, and then Amaya. Feel free to mix them up."

Dan frowned; his eyes thunderous. "You can't keep meddling in our affairs."

"I can when my sister is involved," Leora's eyes were dangerous.

Amaya blinked, staring into space. "I've seen what comes, Mayshadow," she declared. "I may be blind now, but this is clear: Your sister must be defeated by the eclipse's end, or Evermoor will burn."

A pall was cast over them.

"Stay out of our way," Percy warned. "Understood?"

"How about…no," Leora smirked. "Points for trying though! Active participation is always admirable!"

Gwen snorted. "You wouldn't be so smug without your minions to protect you."

"We have names you know!" Sorsha's voice was sharp.

"Like I said, _minions_," Gwen spat. "She's using all of you, don't you get it? She's nothing but a conniving witch!"

Leora flinched slightly.

"Back off," Cameron warned them.

"Why, we're not trespassing," Dan taunted.

"At least we're not thieves," Tara's blood boiled. Leora had her secrets, but she'd been good to them, revealing her powers, helping Bella, giving them advice. Name-calling was too much.

"That remains to be seen," Gwen said. "The Nanteos Cup has vanished."

A ripple passed through the teens.

"Didn't know that huh?" Letty was amused. "It looks like your plan might not work out so well after all."

Bella clenched her fists. "Go away. You're supposed to be adults, but you're acting like children.

Amaya laughed. "She's got a point!"

"Leave us alone," Seb snapped. "I'm sure we'll see you at the eclipse."

They remained where they were.

"He told you to leave!" Tara lost her temper and rushed forward.

"Wait!" Leora shouted.

Tara's rage made her deaf to everything. Time slowed and the world stilled into a single, crystalline moment.

_"__Stop!" _

Caught off guard by Leora's cry, the Supreme Everine stumbled and fell. Her head slammed against the dirt.

A low rumble filled the air.

"Get down!" Leora dragged the others to lay flat as the earth trembled.

Within seconds it stopped, fine dust filtering through the air. The Themis operatives had fallen over but now clambered to their feet, shaken.

"Back inside, now," Leora snapped her fingers and they were surrounded by red sparks.

"So that's the game you want to play?" Amaya was contemplative. "So be it."

There was a burst of light, and the teens vanished.

"What just happened?!" Bella exploded.

Leora had transported them to the tapestry room, securing it with magic.

"Supreme Everine, always messing up my calculations," Leora mumbled to herself. "Why do you have to be so fast?"

"Fast at what?" Tara demanded. "Am I an earth bender now?"

"HAHAHAHA—," Leora slapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry. No."

They waited.

"Remember what I told you about the five elements?" She began. "As the eclipse comes closer, you'll be able to tap into your respective element due to the gravitational and electromagnetic effect on magic."

Seb shook his head. "Wait wait wait, science and magic?"

"They're not mutually exclusive," Leora beamed. "Anyway, we're still not exactly sure how, but eclipses also amplify magical powers."

"We're going to develop superpowers?" Cameron's eyes widened.

"Before you ask it's not permanent!" She held up one hand, silencing their groans. "And it's not just superpowers, but an affinity with whatever element you have. Things will seem clearer or different."

Cameron recalled the stillness of wood before Ryder had appeared in the grove. Bella stared at her hand, which should have been burned, while Tara rubbed the bump on her head resentfully.

"Your abilities should fully manifest when the eclipse comes, so you'll be able to defend yourselves." Leora explained.

"Then what happened with me?" Tara demanded

Because you're the Supreme you already possess some power," She pursed her lips. "I didn't realize your affinity would show up so soon or be so…flashy. Since we've shown Themis our hand, they'll be prepared for us."

Sorsha snapped. "_'Our _hand?!' Since when were we together on this?! You kept us in the dark from the very beginning!"

She was about to storm out but stopped short at the scarlet barrier.

"Let me out!" she demanded.

A hole appeared and the teen flounced through it before the magic resealed.

"I get the feeling she doesn't trust me," Leora sighed. "On another note, I think I know why Miranda's coming here."

Sorsha went to the ice cream shop to cool off, her anger simmering as her father chased skittering noises around the backroom. She ordered a large sundae and was close to finishing it when someone sat opposite to her.

"May I?" Percy settled himself into the seat with an affable grin.

"Your cousin is mannerless," Sorsha snapped.

"Fair enough," he admitted.

"What do you want?" She was still prickly. "Are you here to do away with me?"

He shook his head. "No. This is more of a…negotiation."

She sucked the straw loudly. "Pardon me. Proceed."

Percy leaned forward. "You do something for us, we'll leave the town just like we found it. If you don't want it, feel free to walk away."

She didn't. "What do you want, exactly?"

"Information. What Leora is planning," he spoke steadily. "Think you could do that? We won't use it to hurt you or your friends."

Sorsha hesitated, thinking deeply. "It's…it's not enough. From what I've heard, Miranda has more than enough power to destroy Evermoor."

"Help us stop her and it won't come to that," he assured her. "So, what do you say?"


	10. Chapter 10: Blessed Revelations

"Wait, so Miranda's coming for Bella?" Seb tried to understand.

"Ryder too. He was the one who originally stole…well, whatever it was." Leora confirmed.

"But I still can't remember what it is!" Bella's voice squeaked.

Tara went to her stepsister. "When you fainted…did you really see nothing?"

Bella tried to remember. "I…I saw Ryder on the phone. He said the same thing you did earlier, about anthos being one of the ingredients…and then…" she gasped. "Someone was there!"

"What?" Tara blinked.

"I mean, not physically, but a presence was in my mind," she insisted.

Seb frowned. "Like how? A spirit?"

"It must be Miss T!" Tara's face lit up.

"She restarted my heart, then showed me something," Bella scrunched her nose, concentrating. "A blessing!"

"The blessing for the cleansing ritual," Cameron jumped. "When I was looking for it in the book the page had been torn out!"

"I wonder how that happened," Leora muttered to herself. "How does the blessing go?"

Tara prepared to write it out as Bella took a deep breath.

_"__We bind our hearts together as one_

_To erase what the darkness has done_

_Wood to hold our souls in place_

_Fire to burn out every trace_

_Earth supporting our endeavour_

_Metal to slash the chains, nay sever_

_Water to quench the flames inside_

_With the cycle complete, the darkness will die_

_So as we prepare for the cleanse_

_We hope to bring forth a happy end."_

"Cheerful," Tara muttered.

A peculiar expression was on Leora's face. "I think the blessing has sufficient power, but it doesn't promise we'll succeed."

"No offense, but how do we know we can trust this spirit?" Seb was practical. "It could be a trick."

"Miss T wouldn't do that!" Cameron protested.

"We don't even know if it is her," he pointed out.

Bella nodded. "That's true. But the spirit saved my life, so I doubt it's hostile. Is the potion ready?"

Seb and Tara exchanged looks. "Yeah, but we should probably wait until the eclipse to bless it. It'll increase the potency," she explained.

Leora yawned. "Okay everyone, let's take a break. Get some fresh air, do normal stuff." She waved away the red barrier. "I'm going to take a nap. Or get tea. Whatever comes first."

Tara found herself working on her story, fingers flying as she typed.

She'd relocated to the quiet of the library; its peaceful atmosphere was helpful while concentrating. Unfortunately, she'd gotten writer's block on the next part.

"What are you writing?"

Mrs. Levin was smiling over her shoulder.

"I…just a story," Tara closed her laptop, feeling nervous. "But I'm stuck."

"Well, what's it about?" The older woman sat beside her.

She hesitated. "It's…a bit complicated. Magic and stuff."

"Well maybe just tell me the problem." Mrs. Levin waited.

She hesitated before plunging into a different story. "Well…my main character's going through some issues…she hates this other girl for hurting her friends, but now it seems like she was forced to hurt them. Now the girl's in trouble, so my main character isn't sure if she wants to help her."

Mrs. Levin pondered. "A complex tale."

"But even if she makes the right choice, she isn't sure _how _to help her," Tara continued. "She keeps preparing but she doesn't even know if it'll be enough to stop—save her."

The older woman thought long and hard, the silence stretching out as the seconds passed.

"Sometimes you just need to brainstorm," she spoke finally. "Meditate. Look at the issue from different angles until you find a solution that works."

Tara's heart jumped. "Thanks…that's actually really helpful."

"No problem," she stood up once more. "Feel free to come to me if you need more advice."

A young man with dark hair tripped over a chair at that moment, causing a loud crash. Tara watched as he clumsily clambered to his feet and exited.

"That was strange," Mrs. Levin commented.

Seb went looking for Sorsha and found her outside the ice cream shop, a miserable expression on her face.

"Are you all right?" He sat beside her.

She glanced at him. "Not really. A lot of things keep happening, and it's like…it's like I have no control over anything. Any choice I make doesn't matter."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He held up his hands. "Enough of the pity party!"

"Tell me how I'm wrong then," she demanded. "All I've done since I've been 'chosen' is do research and carry messages. You know your sister still doesn't trust me? She's trying to keep me away from you, and—" Her voice trailed off. "I miss you, Seb."

The two teens sat in silence for a few moments.

"I miss you too," he admitted.

Sorsha stared at him.

"Ever since this whole thing with the Everines, Miranda, Leora, and now Themis, I've barely seen you," he spoke softly. "I don't want know if we should go back to before, but…let's try being mates first, all right?"

Her soft smile blossomed. "All right."

"I'm fine, really!" Bella tried to calm her family over video chat. "It's probably just aftereffects from whatever happened to me the first time."

"Are you sure?" her father stared at her with concern as his phone camera bobbed up and down. "We can always come straight home—Jake, get off of that exhibit!"

She snickered. "Trust me, Dad, you're probably needed more there."

"Agreed. I'm not even sure where Ludo went—" His rambling was cut off as his wife took the phone.

"Just make sure not to overdo it," Fiona Crossley told her stepdaughter. "How have you all been?"

"The house is still standing," Bella joked. "And Leora's being a good babysitter like she promised."

"Good, good…Ludo, no! Jake! Come say hi to Bella!" she handed the phone over to her younger son as she went to stop his friend.

"This is the best trip ever!" Jake yelled.

"How did you get into trouble?" Bella wondered.

"Very easily!" he bragged. "Of course, the museum people won't listen to our cryptozoology claims, but there's still tons of cool stuff in this place!"

She grinned. "Thank God you won the raffle then."

"Thank Leora," Jake spoke cheerfully. "She paid for our tickets."

Bella froze. She wasn't sure why, but something seemed off.

"How many did she pay for?" She wondered.

"All of them," he spilled. "Don't tell Mom though, she'll freak."

"Understood," Bella's mind churned. "She…she didn't have you guys do anything else, did she?"

He shrugged. "Just made us promise to take the parents. She said they deserved a day out or something. Anyway, gotta go!"

Crimson was screeching in a foreign language as he hung up.

"Still?"

"The situation has escalated," the girl spoke, her slight accent shaving her words. "As you can probably tell."

"But then it doesn't make sense," Leora argued.

"Obviously."

Cameron had been heading to Leora's room to ask her a question when he overheard the conversation.

"Then who has the Nanteos Cup?" The mage demanded.

"Again, no one's sure," the mysterious voice replied. "How's Ryder?"

"Not waking up," she reported sombrely. "But don't worry, I have a plan. Anyway, does anyone know?"

"Horus is suspicious, but I think we're all right, for now. Be careful. Themis will be approaching each of your five teenagers to get one to betray you. Watch your back."

Leora chuckled. "I'll be fine, the walls have ears. Besides, they know if they kill me before Miranda comes, they're as good as dead."

Cameron winced at her blunt phrasing.

"Don't get overconfident," the stranger warned, her slight accent stiffening her words. "You still need the cup—and your recruits need meditation training."

She gasped. "Right! Thanks for the reminder! I'll go see if I can find them."

Cameron ducked away from the door, hiding in a nearby closet. He heard a slight huff of air, as if something had dissipated, while Leora bounded down the steps.

A mouse squeaked within the walls before scurrying away.

Leora texted them later that evening, summoning them for a hearty home-cooked dinner followed by meditation instruction.

"Meditation is emptying your mind of conscious awareness while filling it with stillness," she led them into the living room. "Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. In for ten, out for ten."

"Why is this important?" Bella demanded.

"It'll help you get in touch with your elements before the eclipse approaches," she answered calmly. "If you try to channel it willingly without help, chances are nothing will happen, and my sister will kill you."

"Cheery," Sorsha muttered. Seb grinned at her comment.

Leora turned up the volume on her phone. It released slow, calming music, with chimes and flute, and an unidentifiable string.

"In…and out…" Leora recited.

Cameron sat on the couch, trying not to fall asleep. Tara shifted next to him, while Bella kept peeking at the others from her chair. Seb and Sorsha seemed to be taking it seriously, but Seb's brow furrowed as he tried to clear his thoughts.

"Let your mind wander," Leora advised. "You will have thoughts, but that's all right. Just gently bring your attention back to your breathing."

Everyone began to relax. Time seemed to slow all around them as their meditation continued.

"Now I want you to think about your element," she said. "Wood, fire, earth, metal, water. What comes to mind when I say these words?"

For Cameron, a branch danced in the wind. A candle flickered in Bella's mind. Tara saw a mighty mountain in the distance. A metal cube with interlocking parts rotated slowly as Seb breathed. Finally, Sorsha glimpsed a burbling stream, imprinted on her eyelids.

"Now each time you breathe, the image grows sharper," Leora continued. "Clearer."

Their element seemed to move in time with their breathing, becoming brighter with each exhale. It seemed like only seconds passed before the mage called them out of it.

The teens opened their eyes, exhausted yet exhilarated. The hands of the clock had moved almost two hours.

"Good work!" She told them cheerfully. "Now that you know how to do it, tomorrow you'll try meditating alone."

"Homework? Really?" Tara grimaced.  
"Unless you want detention. Or death, whichever comes first," she answered blithely. "Get a good night's rest! There's a lot to do before the eclipse arrives!"

The teens met the next day at the library, after noon.

"Aren't we supposed to be meditating?" Seb whispered as they sat in the corner.

"We will, just…we should talk about some things first," Bella reassured him.

"But why here?" Tara wondered. "With Leora at home, the manor is the safest place to talk."

Sorsha blinked with sudden understanding. "Unless we're talking _about _Leora."

Cameron had been silent so far but nodded. "Leora's saved our lives, and I think she cares about us, but…well, I heard something weird."

He relayed the conversation he'd overheard between the mage and the female voice to the best of his memory.

"Then she said she wasn't worried if we'd betray her because the walls have ears, and…" he winced. "Well, how we'd be as good as dead if we kill her before Miranda arrives."

A moment of silence followed, but Bella snorted. "Well she's not wrong."

"Then the girl reminded her she needed the cup and we needed meditation training, then…" Cameron scratched his head. "There was a strange sound…like a poof of air maybe?"

Tara's spine straightened. "Wait, did the other girl have an accent?"

He stared at her. "How did you know?"

"I heard them talking the day Leora got here," she swallowed hard. "She said…Miranda was attracting too much attention and burned Leora…the girl couldn't stop 'them' from coming for Miranda, and Ryder was missing after London."

"That's all?" Bella asked sarcastically.

"And something about Miranda becoming a kleptomaniac, satisfied?" She couldn't recall the exact words, but she remembered the gist of the conversation. "Then I heard the same poofy noise, like someone popped a cloud."

"Scientifically impossible, but I get what you're trying to say," Seb mused, his mind racing.

The others had ruminations of their own.

"Themis showed up after the first day, right?" Sorsha asked.

"They showed up the same day, just a bit later," Seb spoke absently. "So they were talking about Themis…"

Cameron crossed his arms. "But the only way Leora's mate could have that information is if she was a part of Themis, right?"

Tara scoffed. "Sure…"

Bella fiddled with her clothes. "By the way, I talked to Jake yesterday. Apparently _Leora _gave them the money for the ticket raffle on the condition they took the parents with them when they won."

Mrs. Levin bustled right by them, pushing a cart full of books. She waved cheerfully at the group before disappearing in the stacks.

"She was getting them out of the way," Sorsha observed. "To protect them…or protect herself?"


	11. Chapter 11: Emergence

There were six days left before the eclipse.

The teens had made extensive progress with their meditation, and as the eclipse grew closer, they began to manipulate their elements with ease. Cameron could call wood to create barricades and warrior avatars dressed in bark. Bella wove flames from thin air to create fire projectiles she was immune to, while Tara could summon walls of earth, clods of dirt, and rocks. Her progress was rapid, culminating in causing small earthquakes, avalanches, and quicksand.

Meanwhile, Seb and Sorsha were still meditating without any signs of powers.

"Why isn't it working?" Seb had demanded.

"Your element hasn't been released yet," Leora had informed him. "Don't worry, it'll come."

Sorsha was more distracted then usual, often on her phone, but snapped when the others approached her, except for Seb. Tara noticed them getting closer again with worry, but there wasn't much she could do.

Leora sealed herself in the kitchen for a while, smoke and sparks often emerging.

"She won't burn down the house, right?" Bella asked the others.

"Doubtful," Seb crossed his arms. "I mean, I think she knows what she's doing."

When it came time to meditate, each teen would separate for a time before regrouping to check each other's progress. Sometimes they'd catch glimpses of the Themis operatives observing them, but they never interacted. It was as if a cold war was being waged in the calm before the storm, and all of them wondered what would happen when the storm finally hit.

After lunch that day Leora was resting on the couch when Tara approached her.

"Leora?"

"Hm?"

"I was just wondering…" Her voice trailed off before she steeled her nerves. "If Miranda's Chinese zodiac affects her, does yours affect you?"

The mage stretched. "I guess."

"What year were you born in?" Tara's heart was in her mouth.

Leora opened her eyes and stared at her. "Why do you want to know?"

She swallowed. "Uh…no reason. Just thought it might be helpful."

The older girl yawned. "Come back with a better excuse and I might tell you. Just…let me take my nap…"

However, as the Supreme Everine left the house, Leora jumped to her feet.

"Those kids," she muttered to herself, a peculiar grin on her face. "I guess they're figuring it out."

Cameron held something in one hand as he stood in the grove of trees.

"Are you sure you want to give me this?" He turned to the mysterious adult beside him.

The man nodded earnestly. He was extremely tall, with dark, curly hair and sad eyes. "It might be the only thing that'll work," his voice was deeply serious. "You'll need Ryder if Bella has any chance of remembering."

"But why…" the local boy stared at him. "Why are you helping us?"

The man didn't answer right away. "Let's just say I have my own reasons."

Cameron pocketed the mysterious gift. "Well…I supposed I'll see you later then."

A mouse squeaked as he emerged, scratching through the grass.

He snuck in, seeing Leora dozing on the couch. Cameron ran lightly up to Ryder's room.

Bella was sitting beside the unconscious teen and looked at him sharply.

"Oh—hello! What is it?"

He didn't answer at first. "Can…can you help me?"

"With what?" She asked.

"Can you hold his mouth open?" Cameron removed his fist from his pocket to reveal a tiny capsule. "I…I think this might wake him up."

She moved right away, pushing at the hinge of Ryder's jaw and gently pulling his chin forward.

Cameron dropped the pill inside his mouth, and they waited.

Suddenly a wave of green light shoved everything against the walls, including the teens.

"You okay?" Cameron had caught himself before he slammed into the wall, but Bella was bent over.

"Ran into my chair," she almost swore before catching herself. "What on earth was that?!"

A hoarse laugh pierced the air.

The teens' eyes widened as they turned to stare at the bed.

"Sorry Bell," Ryder grinned, green sparks dancing around his head. "I guess magic is unpredictable."

"What was in it though?" Tara demanded.

"Caffeine, acorn extract, ephedra sinica," Ryder drank thirstily before handing the empty cup back to Sorsha. "Thanks. There were a few other magical components, but I won't bore you with the details."

Bella was holding his hand, an expression of utter bliss on her face. She'd screamed and hugged Ryder before bursting into tears, while Cameron had texted the others.

"But how did you know what to do?" The Everine stared at her boyfriend.

He shrugged. "Came to me while I was meditating."

"Anyway, glad to see you're okay," Seb rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Do you remember what happened?"

His smile faded. "Yeah. I remember everything."

Ryder explained how he'd helped Miranda steal components from all over the world for a complicated spell. When he started to resist, she'd put Bella in "storage" and threaten to leave her there if Ryder didn't follow her rules.

"Miranda changed," he admitted. "She was getting more unstable and more powerful at the same time, so I…I took desperate measures."

He'd gone to Windsor Forest and set up his trap. Thanks to his mystical lineage and an ancestral connection to the area, he'd been able to trick Miranda into being contained long enough for Bella to escape.

"I was trapped with her to hold the spell, and I thought I was going to die," he spoke honestly. "I went into hibernation, but I could still feel it sapping my life force. Then suddenly, I felt my body move, but when I got here, I couldn't wake up. I was stuck."

Tara frowned. "Wait, so if you're awake now, does that mean Miranda will escape?"

He nodded wearily. "Sorry about that, but she won't come until the eclipse."

"How do you know?" Sorsha demanded.

Ryder was about to reply when he heard something scratching in the walls. "What's that?"

Seb shrugged. "A mouse. The manor's been infested."

Sheer panic crossed his face. "Mice? Here?"

"Don't tell me you're scared," Bella laughed.

"No, no, no, that means—" his eyes began to glow green.

"Whoa! Ryder! Easy!" Tara held up her arms. "Explain before you go all Super Saiyan on us!"

He rolled his eyes. "_She_ was born in the year of the mouse! They're her eyes and ears, and she—"

"Has a name," Leora's dry voice cut through the air. She'd been standing in the doorway, unnoticed until now.

Everyone stared at her.

She held up a tiny mouse who squeaked at them, his eyes scarlet. "I guess we've been made, huh little guy?"

"How could you spy on us?!" Sorsha demanded.

"How could I not?" Leora retorted. "Themis was crawling all over Evermoor, I had to make sure you were safe!"

"'Safe,' meaning invading our privacy?!" Bella exclaimed. "The mice were everywhere. Every time we met up, every time we talked—"

"I was worried," the mage admitted softly. "I was worried you'd betray me."

"But we didn't," Seb protested. "You should've trusted us!"

"Even if I wanted to,_ I could not_," she reiterated darkly. "There's more at stake here then you realize, and trust is a luxury I can't afford at the moment."

"What kind of situation?" Cameron asked quietly.

The room lapsed into a tensed silence.

"Should I tell them, or would you like to?" Leora glared at Ryder.

"I'll do it," he looked at them all. "Miranda's been gathering ingredients to create the pills of immortality. She's trying to become a Xian."

"Xian?" Cameron crossed her arms.

"For crying out loud it's not pronounced 'Shian,' it's 'Sian!'" Leora covered her ears. "Your pronunciation is terrible!"

"Okay, but what is Xi—it?" Cameron cut himself off before he could mispronounce it again.

"It means she's trying to become an immortal." Tara explained.

"Which is probably why he said pills of immortality," Bella rolled her eyes at her stepsister. "Duh."

Sorsha turned to the mage. "But aren't you already immortal, with your legacy and all?"

Leora sighed heavily. "We're resistant to most damage and age slowly, but we still can die. Well, not die like you guys do, more like…disintegrate."

Seb gulped. "How does that happen?"

"Disease, losing the will to live," she frowned, thinking hard. "Powerful magic. We do have some human in us after all."

"So if Miranda becomes immortal, what happens?" Sorsha persisted.

"It'll turn the universe upside down." Leora shook her head. "There must always be balance. We're not supposed to become immortal. Our power grows, but at the cost of our minds. Do you really want a crazy, super upgraded version of Miranda chasing you with fireballs for eternity?"

"I get your point," Tara muttered.

"Besides, there's no guarantee she'll be able to control herself," Ryder said. "Once she gains her immortal form, she could accidentally set the world on fire or something."

Everyone shuddered, imagining the worst.

"Anyway Bell, I'm glad you made it," he gave her a warm smile. "Do you still have what I gave you?"

She bit her lip. "I…I'm sorry." Bella was ashamed, but she didn't want to lie. "When I got here, I didn't have it, and…well, I fainted and had amnesia and I'm so so sorry!" She blurted out in a rush.

Ryder hugged her gently. "Whoa there, it's okay! We'll just look for it."

"What was it?" Sorsha asked.

He took a deep breath. "Something that can stop Miranda," he declared. "A jade pendant."

After bringing Ryder up to speed, the teens split up to meditate, Sorsha hurriedly texting someone as she passed Leora, Ryder, and Bella in the hall.

"A jade pendant?" Leora was suspicious. "It wouldn't happen to be jadeite would it?"

He frowned. "There's a difference?"

"You're avoiding the question," she raised her eyebrows at him. "Would it happen to be a green jadeite pendant stolen from the Smithsonian Institute?"

A strange unease drifted through Bella.

He stretched. "Seriously, I'm not sure where you got that from."

"The news," she leaned forward. "Listen, Ryder. I'd hate to think after everything Miranda did for you that you might be trying to kill her."

His face darkened. "You didn't see her, Leora! You didn't have to deal with her getting crazier and crazier! You didn't have to go to sleep at night wondering if you would ever wake up, wondering if…" He took a deep shuddering breath. "Wondering if she'd just make everyone forget about you and blot you out of existence!"

The words hung between them, terrible and bold. Ryder's face was drawn and pale. It was obvious he'd been suffering as Miranda's mind deteriorated.

"She threatened me so many times, I…I was terrified," his voice cracked.

"Then why didn't you leave?" Leora countered coldly.

His shoulders slumped. "Bell…Miranda put Bell under thrall. If I ever left, she'd kill herself before I could break the spell."

Bella held his hand gently, but Leora didn't seem convinced. "I guess we can only take your word for it, eh?"

She turned abruptly and walked away, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

Seb's meditation wasn't going well.

Every time he tried to clear his mind; questions popped into his thoughts. Where did Cameron get Ryder's antidote? Who was Sorsha constantly texting? Who had given Bella the blessing? What was Themis scheming?

He'd retreated to his room, but he'd overhead the heated exchange between Leora and Ryder. Which of them was truly trustworthy?

Seb sighed and opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling. The metal band on his finger was warm against his skin.

"Please," he said. "I need answers…"

Suddenly the ring's temperature dropped, becoming ice cold.

A strange, silvery substance began to emerge from thin air, floating in front of him. The gooey mass pulled itself together to form a rough oval, glowing faintly.

Seb stood and approached it, entranced. He reached out one hand touched it, causing it to ripple like water.

Suddenly, an image was formed in its centre. Many figures engaged in battle with both weapons and magic. Their faces were indistinct, but somehow, he knew that this was a vision of Themis against them. Above them loomed someone surrounded by a force field, her eyes blazing white.

"Miranda?" he muttered, unsure.

The image shifted. This one was much easier to make out.

_Two young girls, both wearing necklaces of red string with a heavy white pendant, were sitting and listening to an older woman speak to them. _

_"__You must follow the Dao," she instructed. "Develop balance inside, or else darkness may enter you." _

_"__But why?" one of them asked. _

_The woman sighed. "Not all fox spirits are good," she warned. "Some are too weak to take human form, so instead, they possess others." _

_"__That's why we wear the white jade!" The other girl grinned. Seb jumped as he recognized a young Leora. Which meant the other girl was…_

_"__But why do they want to be bad?" little Miranda wondered. _

_She blinked. "You might as well ask me why the heavens move and the earth shifts! I don't have all the answers, children. But remember, the more disturbed your mind is, the easier it is for something to take root." Her voice dropped to a murmur, and the girls leaned in eagerly. _

_"__At first, it'll be whispers. They'll convince you to do terrible things, and once you surrender to its power, it'll take you over bit by bit, until there's nothing left!" _

_Miranda jumped to her feet, shaking. "I'm telling mommy!" _

_She ran away, while Leora stared at the older woman. _

_"__But the white jade can't protect us forever, right?" she said wisely. _

_"__It's only a shield while we're still teaching you to fend back the dark. Its power will diminish as you grow more powerful, but…" she hesitated. "It can still help if you know how to use it."_

The silvery substance fell towards the floor, splattering apart to reveal a sword in a leather scabbard. Slowly, he reached forward to touch it, and when nothing happened, he picked it up and drew the weapon.

The sword glowed faintly, the weight resting comfortably in Seb's grip. It seemed to fit him just right— not too long, balanced well.

He carefully returned the blade to its sheath and sighed.

"I don't even know how to use a sword."

A mouse emerged from a crack in the wall, squeaking imperiously.

He gaped, then saw the creature's red eyes. "Oh...hello Leora. I guess my element just emerged."


	12. Chapter 12: Time Running

Five days.

There were only five days left, and Sorsha was losing her mind.

She was the LAST one who hadn't shown any signs of power, and it didn't help with all the mysterious texts she was getting.

The correspondence with her mysterious contact had started with simple warnings or tips, before evolving into strange sentences she didn't understand. After her outburst with Leora, she didn't feel comfortable asking anyone to help.

She was sitting in her room after breakfast when her phone beeped.

With a sense of dread she answered, finding she'd been texted a picture of some Chinese character, white against black.

"What?" Her brow furrowed before she collapsed.

_Sorsha found herself in a white cloud._

_"We don't have much time," a voice hissed at her. "The Cup is closer than you think, but if you don't find it now, things will get extremely chaotic."_

_She glanced around but couldn't find the source of the voice. "Who...? Where are you...?"_

_"We don't have time for this!" The voice warned. "You cannot trust the hunter!"_

_"How can I trust you?" she retorted._

_The presence drew closer, almost hissing. "Everyone has a motive, Everine. If you can solve the why, maybe you can solve the who."_

_"__Speak clearly! What's going on?" _

_The voice didn't respond, instead, a figure walked through the mist. _

_"__Who are you?" _

_The woman was old, Chinese, and whacked her on the arm. "Stubborn child! Listen closely—"_

"I'm an idiot!" Leora hit herself on the head. "Stupid, stupid, stupid—"

She was in Sorsha's room, staring at the girl's phone with blazing eyes.

"I should've warded the phones," she muttered to herself.

At that moment a new text came in from a different number. She clicked it immediately and scanned through its contents, her face darkening.

"Dang it!"

"Tell me the truth," Bella demanded. "You're working for someone, aren't you?"

Ryder stared at her, a mixture of pride and frustration in his eyes. "So you do remember."

They'd been talking in the manor's living room when she'd finally brought it up.

A chill went down her spine. "Not all of it," she said. "But—are you really trying to kill Miranda?"

He was silent at first, giving her a cold stare. "No," he finally answered.

"Then what's going on?".

Her boyfriend sighed. "It's a long story, but—basically, while we were traveling with Miranda, I contacted people who agreed to help me do the cleansing ritual. I kept my eye out for ingredients, and they prepared it. We were preparing to trap her at Windsor Forest then complete it, but—" Ryder swallowed hard. "Something went wrong. Somehow Miranda caught wind of it and attacked them, but they managed to warn me. I grabbed you and ran to Windsor. I figured I could delay her and help you escape. Then, once you came here with the pendant—"

"We'd complete the ritual," she crossed her arms. "But I haven't seen hide nor hair of your so-called friends."

He nodded. "Neither have I. I'd suspect Miranda, but she's still trapped."

Bella's lips tightened. "We should tell the others. Maybe—"

"Tell them that I tried and failed?" Ryder laughed. "I don't even know if my allies are alive. Besides, you guys are doing a lot better."

She raised her eyebrows. "I see."

"What's with all the questions, anyway?" He asked casually. "Leora already gave me the third degree."

The mage had been begrudgingly welcoming, but it was obvious she was still suspicious of Ryder.

Bella chuckled hesitantly. "Sort of. It's just…I can trust you right?"

The question echoed in the silence.

_I can trust you right?_

Her phone went off at that moment, but she quickly muted it, sticking it back in her pocket.

"Bell, I'm your boyfriend," Ryder was astonished. "If you can't trust me—"

"I know I know!" she interrupted. "It's just that with everything happening, I've…I've been second-guessing everyone, not just you! I…" she bit her lip. "I don't even know if I can trust _myself. _Some of my memories are still locked." She didn't dare meet his eyes. "I'm sorry."

He was quiet for a few moments, putting his thoughts into order.

"I'm a little hurt, but I get it," he said reluctantly. He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "It's not your fault. It's okay to be cautious, especially with everything going on."

Guilt welled up inside her. "You're an amazing boyfriend, you know that?"

He did a little bow. "Have to be to keep up with my amazing girlfriend. Anyway, we should go do something. You need to relax a bit after worrying so much."

As they hugged, Ryder slipped Bella's phone out of her pocket and powered it down. He left it on the coffee table as they walked away, holding hands.

Tara and Cameron were training Seb in the yard when a wave of energy knocked them over.

"Ow!" Tara spat grass out of her mouth. "Everyone okay?"

"I nearly stabbed myself, but I'm good," Seb groaned.

"Too bad!" A shrill voice cackled. "If you stabbed yourself it'd save us the trouble."

Cameron shot to his feet and giant slivers of wood surrounded him. "Back off!" he warned.

Themis operatives Letty, Dan, and Gwen stood in front of them, wearing black, lightweight body armour.

"So you've unlocked your powers, I see," Dan noticed.

Seb moved into a defensive position. "Too bad for you!"

Gwen smirked. "A sword? It seems you've stooped to our level."

She drew a shimmering longsword, while a staff appeared in Letty's hands. Dan's eyes suddenly crackled with golden light.

"We're not here to fight you!" Tara cried. "Miranda's the real threat."

"Glad to see we're on the same page," Letty replied.

"Here's our proposition," Gwen sheathed her weapon, smiling kindly. "Instead of helping that other mage, help us. We can work together to take down Miranda."

"You want us to betray Leora," Cameron stiffened. "No thanks."

Letty scoffed. "Do you have any idea what mages are like?" she leaned on her staff. "Leora's too stubborn to see it, but Miranda needs to be put down."

"If I were in her situation, I wouldn't give up on my sister either," Seb retorted.

Dan crossed his arms. "There's nothing wrong with caring about family, but think about it. What happens if you can't stop her?"

"Leora's blindness could cost us all our lives," Letty said. "Especially if we're busy fighting each other during the eclipse."

Tara slowly reached into the earth. "Then instead of fighting us, help us. The cleansing ritual is our best bet, you can't seriously expect to overpower Miranda with sheer numbers!"

"We have our ways," Gwen responded smoothly.

"Well we have ours," Cameron shot back. "Goodbye."

Tara yanked the ground from under them, causing the three Themis operatives to topple like dominoes. Dan vanished in a blast of golden light, Gwen soon following. Letty paused and turned.

"I hope y'all reconsider," she drawled. "We can protect you from Leora, y'know. Remember that."

After she disappeared, the three teens' phones beeped urgently.

Back in the mansion Leora was frantically muttering spells over an unconscious Sorsha, who lay in her bed. Seb, Cameron, and Tara rushed in.

"Sorsha!" Tara gasped.

"No no no no no!" Seb ran to her side and held her hand. "What happened?!"

Leora sighed. "Someone texted her the Chinese character for 'sleep.' It was imbued with a spell that knocked her out."

"Magic can do that?" Cameron asked.

"I guess so!" Leora threw her hands in the air. "The spell isn't active anymore so it should be safe to look at. Do you mind if I put a protective enchantment around your cell phones?"

"Not at all," Tara shuddered before handing hers over, the boys doing the same.

"What about Bella?" Seb asked.

"I texted her too…" Leora frowned before focusing, summoning Bella's phone in a shower of red sparks. "Looks like she's not with her phone."

"Should we look for her?" Tara was anxious. Had Themis gone after her too?

"Sure, just stay safe," the mage answered, focused on the task at hand. "I don't have time to rescue you guys too."

Ryder and Bella were taking a walk close to the forest, laughing and talking, when they suddenly found themselves surrounded by three Themis operatives.

"Back off," Ryder instinctively put Bella behind him, but to his surprise she moved to the side so they stood shoulder to shoulder.

"Relax, we're not going to hurt you," Percy smiled, translucent talons glistening on his hands. "At least, as long as you don't attack us first."

Bella snorted. "Just tell us what you want and get out."

"Oooo, blondie's got a bite!" Amaya hooted as she spun her golden sword.

"More like a burn," Bella smirked and lifted one hand, tiny flames flickering from her fingernails. "Like my new manicure?"

Sun-ah said nothing, only tightening her grip on a jewelled club.

"Impressive," Percy acknowledged. "But we're not here to fight."

"Your weapons say otherwise," Ryder retorted.

Amaya laughed. "You're Ryder, right? I don't think we've had the pleasure."

"Save it!" He cut him off.

"We're just here to talk," Percy smiled. "We—"

Suddenly the earth rumbled, making everyone lose their footing. A wooden barricade sprouted to separate the two groups.

"Get away from my sister!" Seb yelled as he ran to stand beside them, Tara and Cameron hot on his heels. Sun-ah helped Amaya to her feet while Percy dusted off his knees, sighing.

"We just wanted to talk," he said ruefully.

"We're not going to join you and fight Miranda!" Tara insisted. "Leora's plan will work!"

Amaya cackled. "Are you sure about that? I see your future isn't very bright!"

"We're sure," Cameron glared. "Now go away!"

"Can't do that," Letty's southern drawl resounded from behind them. The teens spun to see the remaining three operatives – Letty, Dan and Gwen – had cut them off from the back, undetected. They'd been surrounded.

"What's going on?" Tara demanded.

"You talk too much," Gwen threw a sack of powder into the air.

Ryder recoiled. "Duck!"

It was too late. The powder settled on them like a fine dust. At first it seemed to have no effect, but they found their movements slowing until they were almost frozen in place.

"So you took my slowstone!" Percy chuckled. "I wondered!"

Less of the powder had landed on Ryder, but he was still affected. He was reaching towards the trees when someone's sword nudged his hand.

"Don't even think about it," Gwen warned.

"Who's he?" Dan asked. "Where's the other girl?"

"Slight change of plans," Percy explained. "He'll have to do."

Amaya scoffed. "Will it still work with his earth magic?"

The man grinned, watching the teens move in microseconds. "We have time to make modifications. It shouldn't take long."

Leora was chanting when she froze in mid-sentence.

"AH!" Sorsha sprang up, clutching the air. "What was that?!"

"You felt it too?" Leora frowned. "Someone's begun casting a serious spell. Speaking of spells, who sent you that text?"

"I…" she hesitated. "I'm not sure. Wait, you were looking at my phone?!"

Her stare drilled holes through Sorsha. "I had to. So who were you spying for?"

Instead of answering, she gasped, remembering her dream. "I…I need to tell you something!"

Leora snorted. "Exactly—"

"No, not that!" Sorsha stood as quickly as she could. "I have a message for you—from your grandmother."

The mage froze. "What…"

She grabbed her hands. "Leora, listen to me. The enemy isn't who you think. We—"

Suddenly the air hummed, and the girls' hair stood on end.

"Look out!" Leora summoned a protective red cocoon, milliseconds before waves of pure magic shoved them down. A monstrous roar filled the air.

"What is it?!" Sorsha screamed into her ear.

"Stay close!" Leora threw one arm around her shoulder. "Why is your ring glowing?!"

"I don't know!" The blue gem was almost blinding.

Leora gritted her teeth, sweat beading her brow. "I don't think I can hold it!"

The waves pressed relentlessly until both girls were almost flat against the floor, Leora's force field beginning to fade. Sorsha shrieked as she felt the heat against her back.

Suddenly a shot of light burst from her ring, creating a thin layer of blue sparks to support the red shield. Sorsha imagined all her energy being pushed into the ring and the light grew brighter.

"I'm not sure what you're doing, but don't stop!" Leora ordered.

The surging energy abruptly ended, the roar fading into nothingness. The two shields slowly fizzled out of existence.

"What was that?" Sorsha gasped.

Leora fell over, panting. It took her a while to reply. "Time shift."

"We time-travelled?"

"Basically. The enchantment pushes its casters forward in time while everyone else is put into stasis. It eliminates civilian casualties when magic users have to battle."

"So it's a good spell?"

"In a way." Leora scowled. "Themis invented it, but it requires some powerful magicians, none of which are here. How did they pull off it off?"

At that moment they had the same thought and glanced at each other in alarm.

"Come on!" The mage ran out the door, Sorsha sprinting behind her.

Bella, Ryder, Tara, Cameron, and Seb slowly regained consciousness as Leora and Sorsha arrived at a dead run.

"Seb!" Sorsha fell to the ground beside him as he moaned.

Leora was grim. "They drained you dry."

"Is that why my head hurts?" Bella groaned.

"I feel like someone pounded a drum against my skull," Cameron spat.

The mage watched them all. "It should fade in a few moments."

"Is our power permanently gone?" Tara wondered.

"No, but I'll give you something to speed up the power regeneration process," Leora spoke heavily. Her unusual gravity made all of them stare at her.

"You're going to need it," she finished. "It's the day of the eclipse."


	13. Chapter 13: Burning Light

The teens rushed to the mansion, where Leora pulled out a bottle of milk and tray of cookies.

"Eat up."

Seb raised his eyebrows. "Are these what you cooked a few days ago?"

"Yep! They just needed some time to simmer."

"Cookies simmer?" Cameron whispered to Tara.

"These ones do!" Leora smirked. "The milk will reenergize you and the cookies—well, eat them and see for yourself."

Ryder tentatively raised his hand. "Uh…me too right?"

She rolled her eyes. "Sure. Why not."

It only took a few mouthfuls before all the teens were galvanized, but Leora insisted they finish their food.

"Wow," Bella's eyes opened wide. "That's…that's a sugar rush."

"Wait, if the time shift puts everyone else in stasis, doesn't that mean Miranda would be stasis as well?" Sorsha asked.

"You're forgetting it's the eclipse," Leora reminded her. "It's going to increase her power."

"And yours too, right?" Seb crossed his arms.

The mage inhaled deeply, a red haze shimmering around her before vanishing. "Yes, but not as much as my sister."

"So what's the plan?" Ryder grinned with anticipation.

Leora's brow furrowed. "Focus on staying alive first. Ryder and I will approach her and get her attention. While she's distracted you five will need to start the cleansing by blessing the potion."

"But we still don't have the Nanteos Cup," Tara said.

"Actually…" Sorsha hesitated, but everyone's eyes turned to her. "Leave it to me."

"You know where it is?" Bella was astonished.

"While I was knocked out, Leora's grandmother gave me a message," she told them seriously. "She told me how to get the cup and that if all else fails, trust the white jade."

Leora paled. "W-W-White jade?"  
"Does that mean something to you?" Sorsha asked.

She gulped. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"But…what about Themis?" Cameron ventured. "There's no way we can fight them and Miranda at the same time!"

She grinned. "I never said we would."

A web of trees in Windsor Forest began to glow before being blasted apart, the debris disintegrating into dust.

"**FINALLY**!" Miranda boomed. The air around her bristled with power as her eyes glowed white. She soared into the air and listened, her evil grin widening.

"**There you are, my slippery fish**," she growled. "**Time to net you once and for all!"**

She shot into the air in a blaze of light, a blur against the sky as she zoomed towards Evermoor.

The sun was beating down on them, hotter and brighter than before. All Themis operatives stood in the middle of the town square, dressed in their black, slim body armour. Their organization logo glimmered on their left breast. Aside from some magical looking paraphernalia they seemed almost ordinary.

"I want uniforms," Bella grumbled. "Why do they get to look so cool?"

She and the others were crouched inside a small copse of trees a bit farther away, hidden by Leora's protective charm.

"They're not just uniforms, they're armour, see?" Cameron pointed as golden magic suddenly surrounded them, forming helmets and an extra layer of protection.

"Why are we waiting?" Tara asked anxiously. "What if they need help?"

"Which is why we have to wait," Leora remarked. "There aren't any reinforcements, it's just us. If we go out there and get killed there'll be no one left to stop her. Besides, we'll need a distraction if we want to get this done."

Sorsha silently reached forward and tapped her shoulder, causing the mage to jump. "Eeep!"

Seb chuckled. "Seriously why are you so jumpy?"

"Touche," Leora winked. "What is it, Sorsha?"

The Everine quietly lifted her hands to show—

"The Nanteos Cup!" Ryder's eyes bulged. "How did you get it?"

She paled. "Um…let's just say I found it."

"You found it," Bella's tone was laced with skepticism. "Just like that?"

A sonic boom echoed through the air and the teens whirled to see a white comet flaming towards Evermoor.

"We'll wrap this up later," Leora said. "Miranda's here."

"**Well, look who it is**!" Miranda thundered. She was floating in midair, encased in a fluttering white sphere while lightning danced around her. Her appearance was unkempt, her hair wild and uncombed, her clothes covered in dirt and leaves. As she spoke her voice sounded layered, as if three Mirandas were talking at once. "**Themis has finally crawled out of their hole**."

"This is your final warning," Percy spoke calmly. A golden hawk soared above him and let loose a shrill cry. "Stop what you're doing, now, or else we'll have to destroy you."

She giggled. "**Sorry, but that's cute. You really think you can destroy me, Horus? Feel free to try! Active participation is always admirable**!"

Percy morphed a giant hawk avatar around himself and took to the skies. Letty, Amaya, and Sun-ah pointed their weapons to the centre of their circle and chanted, blue projectiles shooting towards the mage. Dan conjured golden weapons and engaged Miranda in battle, while Gwen shot towards her like a rocket, her sword gleaming.

Miranda conjured a vast, white shield to stave off their initial attacks before retaliating. A giant pale dragon challenged Percy, roaring, as a fleet of snowy darts impaled the blue projectiles and spun them around, back towards the Horae, who scattered. Giant butterfly swords fought a duel with Dan and Gwen as Miranda drifted away, a thin shield guarding her.

"**You bore me**," she threw a casual fireball at Amaya, who barely deflected it with her sword. Sun-ah fought off glowing golems with her jewelled club, causing them to explode, while Letty used her staff to force them to back off.

Then everything started to go wrong. The operatives were being driven apart as they battled Miranda, and she suddenly let loose whips of power that flung them backwards. Gwen, Percy, and Dan plowed into the ground, dirt flying, as Letty, Amaya, and Sun-ah were thrown high, crashing through houses.

Bella winced. "That had to hurt."

"We need to go in now!" Ryder cried. "Before she kills them!"

"Premature intervention will only seal our doom," Leora warned.

"**PATHETIC**!" Miranda roared. "**I've met newborns with more strength than you**!"

She grabbed Gwen with a white tentacle, holding her by the neck as she struggled helplessly.

"**When you said you were going to destroy me, I thought I might have an actual challenge**," she informed her. "**This is just sad**."

Gwen's face was turning purple when Miranda's sleeve caught on fire, forcing Miranda to release her.

"**Very funny, Nahundi**," she growled. "**Let's make this fair**."

Gleaming tendrils shot out towards each member of Themis and the battle raged on. The operatives fought hard—but it wasn't nearly enough. Letty was stunned and trapped in a white cocoon, while golems swarmed Amaya until she was no longer visible. Gwen slashed the magical feelers targeting Percy as he tried to help Sun-ah to her feet. Dan was tangled in a web that grew as he struggled..

"**Seriously, this is it**?" Miranda flicked her fingers and sent Sun-ah hurtling towards the hidden teens, smashing through the copse. "**Come on, give me some excitement! Do you know how long that green cow-licker kept me in check? I deserve to have a bit of fu**n!"

Tara helped Sun-ah sit up. "Are you okay?"

She smiled weakly. "Thank you. Leora?"

"Right here," the mage ran towards her.

Ryder blinked. "I didn't know you could talk."

Sun-ah looked at him. "I usually don't."

There was something familiar about her voice, and that's when the teens realized…

"You're Leora's spy in Themis!" Cameron said aloud.

"Spy is a bit harsh," her accent came out a little. "We're just friends."

Leora gave her a pill as she healed a wound on Sun-ah's head. "We were close before she joined Themis, she was the only person with me when I confronted Miranda back in Canada."

"What?" Seb interrupted. "When were you going to tell us—?!"

"I didn't know how bad the problem was then, and it wasn't worth mentioning now!" Leora cut him off. "She was just moodier than usual; her magic was still blue. We got into an argument and she literally burned me. She was so ashamed she didn't even say goodbye when she left for Europe."

"Then why did Themis get involved?" Sorsha asked.

"Her behaviour was so brazen that they couldn't ignore her even if they wanted to." Sun-ah winced, putting a hand to her chest. "I hate broken ribs."

"They're mending," Leora told her. "Anyway, Sun-ah could only do so much, so she agreed to keep tabs on Themis for me and keep them away from Miranda."

"Why?" Tara crossed her arms.

"I…" Leora hesitated, fumbling with her words. "I was scared they'd have to neutralize her." Her voice faltered. "She's my little sister."

"Well I think she's about to neutralize Themis," Bella exclaimed. "We better get out there!"

Leora took a deep breath. "Guess it's time for a family reunion."

The Evermoor teens, plus Leora and Sun-ah, found themselves on the ground in front of a floating Miranda, who smirked.

"**Ah! Dear sister**!" Miranda bowed mockingly. "**So good to see you, even if you're in bad company**."

Tara's heart clenched. "Miranda, you need to calm down."

"**I'm completely calm**," she taunted in her multilayered voice. "**I'm actually seeing things much more clearly without my conscience clouding my judgment**."

She moved closer but halted as Seb lifted his sword into a defensive stance. "**Why Seb! You really became a knight, defending the heart of your lover while ****_breaking_**** mine," **she almost growled at the end of her sentence, then her manic grin returned. "**Nice to see she's not ignoring you anymore**."

Tara blinked. "We're not here to talk about relationships—"

"**But that's the whole reason why we're here," **Miranda countered. "**We're all twisted together in this tangled ball of affiliations and correlations. Isn't that right, Supreme Everine? Loyalties, family ties, even love and betrayal!"** Miranda flew down, her feet slamming against the earth so hard cracks formed underneath. "**We're all here for something!"** She fixed her eyes on Ryder and Bella. **"Which reminds me—I should really kill those traitors. Well, traitor. I have a bone to pick with you, Mr. Hunter."**

Sorsha let out a little gasp. "What—what did you call him?"

At that moment green vines raced towards Miranda, seeking to pin her down and drag her away. She let loose wind blades that sliced the vegetation to shreds, but they kept going.

"We'll keep her distracted!" Ryder yelled. Leora joined by releasing magical scarlet scarves that billowed out and unleashed thousands of mice avatars that gnawed on Miranda's white energy. "Finish the job!"

The teens quickly arranged themselves in order as Sun-ah watched their backs. It was hard to concentrate but they had to try.

"**Interfering little—"** Miranda was about to unleash something nasty when Leora conjured a giant hammer and whacked her aside.

They arranged themselves in a pentagram, Seb and Tara at the bottom, Sorsha and Bella on the left and right points, respectively, and Cameron at the top. Sorsha held the Nanteos Cup, Seb, his sword, and Tara the potion, which she'd kept in a shatterproof clay container. Cameron summoned a bamboo staff while a white-hot flame extended from Bella's hand.

"One, two, three!" Tara counted down and together they chanted:

_"__We bind our hearts together as one_

_To erase what the darkness has done_

_Wood to hold our souls in place_

_Fire to burn out every trace_

_Earth supporting our endeavour_

_Metal to slash the chains, nay sever_

_Water to quench the flames inside_

_With the cycle complete, the darkness will die_

_So as we prepare for the cleanse_

_We hope to bring forth a happy end."_

The air around them began to glow silver. Tara removed the stopper and poured the potion into the Nanteos Cup. The instant the liquid touched the vessel it transformed. The Nanteos Cup became whole as it held the shining potion.

"Done!" Tara shouted.

"Good job!" Leora yelled as she jumped over fissures that opened and shut at random.

"But how do we get her to drink it?" Seb wondered.

"Honestly I wasn't sure if we'd survive this long!" Leora said before she flew into the sky.

"Watch out!" Sun-ah tackled Sorsha and the Cup was knocked from her hands.

"What—?" Bella thought she had betrayed them until vines twined around her ankles.

Sorsha stared at the Cup. "Oh. It doesn't spill?"

"The moment the potion's in the thing it's enchanted," Sun-ah scrambled to her feet and grabbed at the vines holding Seb but recoiled with a yelp. "Thorns!"

"Ryder stop!" Cameron sliced his bonds with large wooden slivers..

"Ryder?" Bella's voice quivered. Leora was knocked out of the sky as Miranda descended.

"**Trusting him was a stupid move**," she sneered. "**But don't worry about beating yourself up. I'll happily do it for you**!"

A blast of fire shot at her face, but she dodged to the side.

Bella burned herself free while Seb cut through his vines. Tara sent rocks raining down towards Miranda and jumped at her.

The mage blasted them all with energy, forcing them back.

The five teens stood on one side of the field, Miranda on the other.

She smirked, her voice a chorus of contempt. "**C'mon, ****_wu xing_****. Let's see how good you are**."

Sun-ah snatched the Cup before the vines did and rolled aside. Leora appeared beside her as Tara and the others began to fight Miranda. Flames slashed across the sky as the earth shook, warrior avatars of bark appearing to face her golems. Icy hail pelted towards the mage as metal clanged against metal, one sword against many. The five moved instinctively, switching up their attacks, covering and protecting each other with ease.

"Is Ryder insane?" Leora yelled as she let out waves of power that sliced the attacking vines to bits. She quickly healed Sun-ah's hands and summoned her jewelled club. "Here."

"Thanks." Sun-ah ducked as another vine almost punched her. "He can't honestly expect to beat all of you, can he?"

"Good thing he has help."

The girls spun to see the Themis operatives staring at them, all somewhat battered. Leora immediately summoned magic that surrounded her in waving ribbons, but none of them attacked.

"You see, Ryder has been helping us for a while now," Gwen had spoken first, and now she continued. "It's only fair we return the favour."

Leora cursed. "I knew that gardener was growing a Judas tree."

Sun-ah stared. "When were you planning on telling the rest of us?"

"When the time was right," Percy limped forward. "After all, I knew we had a mole on our team."

Miranda and the teens battled in the background, with the noise of earth tearing, water whipping, metal screeching, wood banging, and fire whooshing. Battle cries and other sounds filled the air as their fierce struggle continued.

"How are they so evenly matched?" Dan demanded. "Miranda basically tore us apart!"

"The power of the five elements," Ryder emerged from the ground. "Plus Leora's knowledge/energy milk and cookies. By the way, thanks for the that."

Leora shot a bolt of red energy at him but a green one met it in midair, neutralizing it. "You—!"

Ryder ignored her. "You guys ready?"

"What are you planning to do?" Sun-ah asked.

"What needs to be done," Percy pronounced darkly. "Miranda is a menace. She must be stopped."

A white jade tiger plaque shimmered into his hands, while Gwen soon held a hair ornament made of the same material, but brown and orange.

"You stole those from the museums!" Leora cried.

"We'll be happy to return them once the job is done." Ryder said. "Now where's the jadeite pendant?"

"The one you gave Bella to hide?" She scoffed. "I arranged for its return, back where it belongs."

He chuckled. "Smart. You took her memory of it too, eh?"

"I couldn't have her go looking for it," she retorted.

"Then it's a good thing I always have backups," Ryder pulled out a green jade bracelet. "Something extra I picked up along the way."

"Enough talking!" Gwen ordered. "The eclipse is starting. Nahundi, Dike, Eunomia—make sure they don't interfere."


	14. Chapter 14: Where Truth & Loyalties Lie

Sorsha was shocked at how well they were doing. With all five of them they could at least match Miranda's power—but if any of them hesitated Miranda immediately began to gain the upper hand.

"LOOK OUT!"

Sorsha ducked and threw a water whip, turning to see Leora guarding Sun-ah, who held the Nanteos Cup in one arm while wielding her club. The rest of Themis was approaching them while Percy, Gwen, and—was that Ryder?—stood in a circle and chanted menacing, a green glow starting to surround them.

Someone tackled her as white lightning struck where she once stood.

"You'll get yourself killed, pay attention!" Seb admonished as his sword pulsed with energy.

"Leora's in trouble!" Sorsha told him.

"We can't help her, the moment one of us leaves Miranda will overpower us!" Seb used his sword to absorb a flying bolt of light before redirecting it. "It's a stalemate. Leora can handle herself."

Bella propelled herself with fire to attack from above when she caught a glimpse of Ryder and froze. Instead of striking her down, Miranda moved to see what she was looking at.

"**You're in league with Themis?!**" she snarled. "**I didn't think even you'd stoop so low**!"

A sudden hurricane pushed the other teens aside as Miranda ran straight at him. She bounced off a green shield with a bellow and immediately began hacking at it with her hands swathed in white knives.

"Should we stop her?" Cameron wondered.

"I need to catch my breath," Tara gasped. "It's getting hot."

An army of golems appeared.

"Oh come on!"

Leora was fending off Dan, Amaya, and Letty with ease when she accidentally glanced at the sun and winced.

"What?" Sun-ah demanded.

Instead of replying she clapped her hands. Gleaming red goggles appeared around her and the five teens' eyes. Sun-ah took her cue and a pair of black goggles shimmered into existence on her face.

"Eclipse is starting!" Leora's voice was magnified by magic. "Unless you want to go blind, put on your protective eyewear now!"

The teens cut through the golems easily, but their numbers were endless. For every one that fell five more rose in its place.

Cameron unleashed a flood of wooden avatars to give the teens some breathing room.

"How on earth are we supposed to get her to drink the stupid potion?" Bella grumbled.

They watched Miranda as she cursed and screeched, pounding on Ryder's shield.

"The power's growing in her," Leora teleported beside them with Sun-ah. Dan, Letty and Amaya had been putting on their own goggles when they were tied up by dancing blue and red ropes. "It's making her much more volatile than I anticipated."

Sun-ah stumbled, her face pale. "Don't ask me to do that again. Please."

"Using your magic to subvert theirs shouldn't have been that difficult," Leora frowned.

"It is when they're actively opposing me!" She snapped. "So unless you got some more snacks—"

The mage stuck her hand out and a small bottle of milk appeared. "This is all I have left, so everyone take a sip."

"What's Ryder doing?" Bella asked as the bottle was passed around. Once empty it vanished.

"He's doing the cleansing ritual—just the other option," Leora glowered. "That duplicitous—"

A loud boom filled the air, and everyone whirled around.

Miranda had struck the shield especially hard and was brutally repelled, thrown against the ground as Ryder, Percy, and Gwen approached her, glowing green.

"Time to set things right," Ryder intoned.

Miranda hadn't moved, stunned or enchanted as a sphere of energy whirled above her.

"NO!" Leora darted away from the group as the ball fell towards her sister.

_KKRA-AGH! BBOOM!_

The veriscence exploded, blinding everyone, the sound knocking them off balance.

"Leora!" Tara sprinted towards their mentor, the others following close behind.

The mage lay on top of her younger sister, unconscious and smoking.

"What did you do?!" Cameron demanded.

Percy, Gwen, and Ryder had returned to their ordinary state, albeit somewhat chagrined.

"The spell wasn't meant for her, but getting in the way of powerful magic has its consequences," Gwen said.

"Did you just expect her to just step aside while you killed her sister?!" Seb was heated.

"It was an accident," Percy tried to say.  
"It never would've happened if you just let us do what we were meant to!" Sorsha reproved.

"We didn't know if that would work!" Gwen protested.

"Like that makes it right?" Bella's comment was quiet, but everyone heard it. She refused to look at Ryder while she and Sun-ah carefully rolled Leora off Miranda and onto the grass.

"Ouch!" Sun-ah snatched her hands away. "She's hot!"

Seb glared at the three perpetrators. "Did you honestly expect the other Themis operatives to be strong enough to fend her off while you cast your spell?! The eclipse increases Leora's power too!"

Gwen and Percy looked to the side, and instead of replying, ran to free their comrades.

"Cowards," Cameron grumbled.

Only Bella could touch Leora without being burned. Sorsha tried to cool her off with ice while Tara moulded the earth to make a comfortable bed. Cameron, Seb and Sun-ah kept watch, Sun-ah glancing at the sun now and then.

"The shadow's covered the edge, just a bit," she reported.

Cameron gave Seb his stick and created a wooden container around Leora which Sorsha filled with cold water and ice chunks. Bella tried to draw the heat away from the mage as her skin burned and blistered. Seb handed Cameron his stick back before forming liquid metal rings to hold the tub together. Tara pushed the tub higher so they could reach her easier, stabilizing it so it wouldn't fall over. Everyone was so focused on Leora, even Ryder, that what happened next took them all off guard.

"_Jie jie_…?"

Miranda's voice, though cracked, was singular. She clambered to her feet and threw herself at her sister, falling on her knees.

"Leora wake up," she begged. "Please wake up!"

Ryder stepped forward. "Miranda—"

Tara saw the mage's eyes flicker from brown to white as she stood, glaring imperiously at him.

"**You did this**," her voice tripled again as pure anger laced every word.

"We didn't mean to—"

"**Cut your drivel**," she ordered with cold rage. "**I've had enough of you and Themis**."

Miranda threw him into the air, catching the other members of Themis as well, except for Sun-ah.

"**No mercy**," she swore. "**I'll extend the same kindness you showed me**."

"Miranda, stop!" Seb yelled, horrified.

She glared at him. "**You're lucky that I hate Themis more than you. I was planning to drain your souls, but theirs will suffice.**"

Sun-ah inhaled sharply. "You're doing _that _immortality ritual? Not the pills? Are you insane?!"

"**Very**." Miranda forced her captives into a vertical position and slowly drew a white gold substance from each of their mouths. They began to convulse, their veins bulging. **"I never truly wanted the pills. They made a great diversion so I could gather the power to do this!"**

"No!" Bella shrieked. Tara took one look at her stepsister's white face and blasted herself into the air, tackling the mage.

"**Ooof**!" Miranda grunted in surprise as she crashed into the ground. "**Get off**!"

"Make me!" Tara shouted before the mage threw her off. She could make out the other Themis members and Ryder hit the ground as Miranda's enchantment was interrupted.

The moon's shadow slowly crept across the sun. Tara stood and commanded the earth to suck her into the ground. Only her face was visible.

"You need to cool it!" She was fed up with Miranda's behaviour. "Stop acting like a baby! All you're doing is hurting people who try to help you—just like your sister!"

Miranda's eyes flickered brown again, and her face changed from rage to confusion. "I…I don't…"

"Leora took the hit meant for you," she insisted. She wasn't sure what was happening, but she knew she had to keep Miranda's eyes brown. "She's been here for almost a month training us so we could save you! And now you're throwing it away!"

The ground rumbled ominously. Miranda gasped as the earth covered her face.

"Tara!" Cameron ran to her side.

"That wasn't me!" She tried to pull the girl up, but something resisted her. Seb and Cameron joined her, combining their powers to lift Miranda back to the surface.

The mage's face broke free and she spat out a mouthful of mud. "Eugh!" She was totally covered except for her head. Her brown gaze tried to focus. "What's going on?"

"**_You just had to interfere_**."

Everyone froze hearing the guttural, growling tone.

"**_You just had to stick your noses in_**," Ryder floated above them. His eyes had turned black. "**_It took me so much of my self to possess the Mayshadow girl that I could only use a sliver for the gardener_****. ****_Fortunately, the boy is not nearly as strong as her_**_,_" his face contorted into a maniacal sneer. **_"I could possess him while inhibiting her power as well—just as I am doing now_**_."_

Bella gasped, her head raised in terrible realization. "It was _you_."

The memories began flicking through her brain, almost too fast for her to catch. Bits and pieces of Ryder speaking in that strange voice, her doing his bidding, the times she found Miranda almost herself—

"Who…what are you?" Seb demanded.

_"__**I am something far greater than you mortals could ever comprehend**__," _he cackled. _"__**And I **_**will ****_become immortal—one way or another!" _**

Sorsha and Bella were torn. They felt their place was with the other three, but their mentor was still unconscious.

"Go," Sun-ah told them. "I'll watch Leora."

The girls rushed to the other teens as Ryder—the thing inside him—approached.

_"__**Caring made them weak**__,_" he sniggered. _"__**He was convinced that Miranda would kill you if he rebelled, while I persuaded her that Ryder would snap your neck if she escaped. Ironic, how you were a hostage for two people.**__" _

"Get out of him!" Bella's hands became wreathed in flame.

He stared at her balefully. **_"Or what? You'll burn me to a crisp? Sorry to break it to you, but that'll just kill your boyfriend. Then all I have to do is hop into Miranda and kill you all._**_" _

Bella's hands tightened into fists, and her fire disappeared.

Cameron sent a sudden fleet of wooden darts straight at Ryder, but a black wall edged white absorbed them before vanishing again.

_"__**Don't provoke me**__,"_ the creature spoke dismissively, creating a glittering bubble around their group to cage them in._ "__**I could always use more souls to boost my power. In the meantime—**__"_

The five attacked the barrier to no avail. Tara tried to push through the ground, but it refused to move. The creature turned Ryder's body away from them and began chanting.

"Hate to be a bother, but can someone help me out?" Miranda's voice was dry. She'd managed to free an arm but the rest of her was still stuck.

Together the five teens tugged her free.

"Thank you," Miranda tried to dust herself off, but she was covered in dirt. She made a face before letting loose a spark of blue that siphoned most of it off.

"You…aren't going to kill us, right?" Seb asked warily.

She thought hard. "Um…good question. My memory's a little fuzzy from the _jing _in my head."

"Jing?" Cameron wondered.

"Full name, _huli jing_," she explained. "A fox spirit."

"But aren't you descended from a fox spirit?" Sorsha was puzzled.

"I think that's what made me susceptible to it," she took a few shaky steps.

"Some fox spirits are good, and some are bad," Sun-ah paused from holding ice against Leora's forehead. "They can possess people, expelling their true souls, and basically become them."

Miranda wobbled to her sister's side and sat clumsily. She held her stomach and gagged.

"Sorry, but power inhibition makes me nauseous," she grunted. "That thing's held me in check for months now, ever since I arrived in Europe."

Seb thought rapidly. "But how did it get in you in the first place?"

She hiccuped. "I'm not sure. I think it was influencing me and Ryder to do things until…I think we encountered something that made it manifest."

A stone settled in Tara's stomach. "May's Shadow. Before we stopped it the thing was just flying around attacking Everines."

"The chaos would've helped the spirit to manifest bit by bit, until it was almost fully here," Sun-ah mused. "How did you defeat it?"

"Miss T sacrificed herself. She attached it to her own soul before being sucked into limbo." Tara replied.

Miranda frowned. "I…I think I remember being possessed by my ancestress. Maybe the fox spirit hitched a ride and that's how it got in me."

"It's fun to speculate, but we have a more pressing problem," a raspy voice wheezed.

Leora sat up in the tub and Sorsha hastily drained the water away, while Seb and Cameron reformed their wood and metal into a rough bench.

Their mentor drank a handful of water. "Ryder—I mean, the _jing _in Ryder is sucking out the Themis operatives' _qi _to fuel its bid for immortality. We need to stop it."

Her skin was still red and somewhat blistered, but her eyes were clear.

"Can you guys break us out of this bubble?" Sun-ah asked the sisters.

"I almost got incinerated," Leora was dry. "I need to wait to recharge, and we don't have time for that."

Miranda shook her head. "The _jing _is still in my head, holding my power back."

Sun-ah lifted the Nanteos Cup. "If you drink this, would it expel him and restore you?"

"Yes, but then the _jing _will fully possess Ryder, and that'll definitely kill him," Miranda explained. "We need to do it at the right moment to truly banish the _jing _once and for all."

Sorsha stayed at the back. She slid a hand into her pocket and pressed the speed-dial button on her cell phone, then pressed 3.

A loud snap reverberated through the air and everyone jumped. Two blurs surged through the sky and landed hard, leaving impact craters.

"What is that?!" Seb yelped.

Two figures in grey body armour and helmets, one very tall and the other petite, stood holding a staff and whip, respectively.

Ryder/the _jing_ scoffed. He'd been draining the souls of the Themis operatives as the moon covered half the sun.

_"__**Nemesis**__," _he sneered. **_"How did you get here?"_**

Neither of them bothered to reply. Instead the smaller one snapped the whip around Ryder's ankle and dragged him through the air, and at the same time she (they could see it was a female now) threw a dagger that sliced through the bubble holding the others and sheared off the top.

"Hurry!" The taller one spoke in a deep, resonant voice. His words were tipped with an English accent. "While it's distracted!"

They rushed out of their prison, cautiously helping the two debilitated mages.

"Who—?"

"No time!" The man cut Tara off and removed a strange, pale object from a velvet bag. "Here. White jade, in the shape of a leaf. It should work."

"Right." Sorsha grabbed it. "Let's go. Sun-ah, help Miranda drink the potion when its time."

"What's going on?" Bella demanded. "We can't just leave them!"

"Don't worry," the man removed his helmet but kept his goggles on. He had dark curly hair and pale skin. "I'll protect the Mayshadows."

Sun-ah blanched. "Forseti?!"

"Hi Eirene," he greeted calmly. "Miss me?"

That was all the teens heard before they raced off.

"Who is that?" Seb demanded as they came to a stop.

"Forseti," Sorsha said calmly. "He's the one I've been texting, and he got me the Nanteos Cup."

"He came with the tourists, didn't he?" Tara furrowed her brow. "I think I saw him in the library when I was talking to Mrs. Levin."

"He texted me a few times and gave me Ryder's cure," Cameron revealed. "He said he was a friend of the Mayshadows."

"But can we trust him?" Bella was sharp. "I mean sure, he brought Ryder back—a possessed one!"

"I'm not sure if he knew about that," Sorsha pointed out.

"You at least know what you're doing, right?" Seb asked uneasily.

She held up the white jade carving. "We need to press this to his forehead to expel the spirit."

"Like that'll be easy!" Bella snapped.

The mysterious woman was battling Ryder with speed and ferocity, even as he enchanted the Themis operatives to attack her instead. The five teens jumped in without warning, letting their elements run wild.

Meanwhile, Sun-ah's face twisted as she stared at Forseti. "You were dead."

"What makes you say that?" He telekinetically moved Seb and Cameron's chair and rearranged it so that Moira and Leora could recline comfortably.

"You died in front of all of us," Sun-ah expressed angrily. "Fighting those rogue _loup-garous_ and their sorcerers!"

"Did I now?"

"You were incinerated!" She cried, his mild tone infuriating her. "We _mourned_ you without a body! How could you do this to your family, to us—?!"

He didn't reply, instead lifting a cold cloth to Leora's forehead.

"Sorry," Leora coughed. Her skin slowly changed colour as her blisters healed. "My power's coming back quickly thanks to the eclipse. I should recover soon."

Miranda had kept her eyes closed this whole time, holding her stomach and mouth. Forseti knelt beside her.

"I know it's difficult, but it's almost over," he assured gently.

She stirred and opened her eyes. "Are you a dream? Or a hallucination? Either way I wish it was real."

Leora sat up, wincing, her skin almost back to its original shade. She held the cloth to her own face and stared at the scene beside her.

"I thought I wanted to die," Miranda confessed. "That's why the Europe trip happened. How are you here? They told me your body was destroyed."

Leora was stunned. "Wait…you know him?!"

"He was the friend I fought with, right before he went and died on me," her voice was faint. "We fought 'cause I found out he was a Themis spy."

Forseti sighed. "The mission occurred at a terrible timing, and afterwards I was burned—badly burned. I fainted, and a breeze woke me up. I'd been thrown into some bit of wilderness, and somehow I was totally healed. When I stumbled into civilization it'd been almost three months."

"But why didn't you say anything?" Sun-ah challenged.

"Because Nemesis advised me not to," Forseti stared her in the eye. "I could not risk appearing to you all and being forced to follow the Themis agenda. It was better to stay away and give aid when necessary to find a better solution."

"Who is Nemesis?" Leora asked.

"The watcher," Sun-ah said. "Our oversight agent. No one knows her true identity. Sometimes she helps out if things are really bad."

"I guess this qualifies," Miranda remarked.

The darkness covered half the sun. Leora seemed somewhat recovered, but Miranda turned paler.

"Anytime now!" Leora bellowed.

"We're trying!" Tara ducked a black and white bomb before latching onto Ryder's right ankle. Seb clung grimly to his left arm, Cameron on the other, while Bella pinned down his left leg.

The mysterious Nemesis grabbed Ryder's collar and punched him in the head, disorienting him.

"Now!" Tara yelled at Sorsha. She ran and pressed the cool jade against Ryder's forehead.

He went rigid and his eyes rolled in his skull. A strange black smoke emerged from his mouth.

"Now Sun-ah!"

Leora and Forseti held down Miranda as Sun-ah held the Nanteos Cup to her lips. For a brief second her eyes went white, but she managed to resist long enough to choke down the potion. After the cup was empty she began to cough out pale smoke.

"I think we did it!" Bella shouted. All the smoke left both teens' bodies and they collapsed, limp as rag dolls.

"Are they okay?" Cameron was bewildered.

"I doubt it." A strange voice chirped. "But you should be more worried about yourself."


	15. Chapter 15: Instruction & Restitution

The black and white smoke coalesced to form a large shadowy fox with red eyes. Nine tails extended behind it.

"Clever children," it barked. "I should have known the dangers of human ingenuity."

Leora groaned. "Oh give me a break! After all this it _still _manifests?"

"Back off!" Sun-ah brandished her club.

"You can't scare me," it tilted its head. "I've been alive for eons. I've seen humanity's greatest triumphs and most devastating failures."

"Then why would you want to be immortal?" Seb gripped his sword.

"Why not?" It laughed hollowly. "I've done everything else."

Tara threw a rock at it, but it only passed through the smoke. The fox spirit turned and stared at her.

"Just-just get out before we finish you, for good!" She stammered.

It smirked. "I was banished from this dimension by creatures more powerful than you, Supreme Everine, yet I was still able to thwart them and return. What can you possibly hope to accomplish?"

A shining red dart shot out and stabbed one of its tails, causing it to howl.

"You may not be hurt by the natural elements, but let's see what magic can do," Leora's face was like thunder. "You should recognize it. After all, it's like yours."

The fox sneered. "Your mongrel powers are no match for mine."

"How about two mongrels?" Miranda stood beside her sister. She was still slightly unsteady but levelled a convincing glare. "Things are a little different out here compared to inside my head. I doubt you're stronger than both of us."

Blue and red energy gathered around the sisters as they linked hands, the colours whirling together. A violet cloud with blue and red sparkles expanded outwards, the sheer power compelling everyone to retreat.

A magical battle began then, a struggle of wills and wits. Impossible structures rose out of thin air. Dragons, phoenixes, and other mythological creatures made of energy engaged in their own combat. Swirling hurricanes of red, blue, purple, black, and white shuddered and died, filling the air with beating winds and hail as the storms intensified.

The sisters fought with ease and skill, perfectly in sync. It seemed both seconds and lifetimes passed in the breathlessness of battle, but soon the mages had pinned the fox spirit to the ground.

"Now what?" Leora wondered.

"Now you need to banish it to the limbo dimension," Forseti stated calmly. "Tara, I need you to weave a Celtic knot with golden thread."

As she began doing so, Forseti handed over a pair of tiny scissors to Bella. "When I tell you to, cut it right in the middle."  
"After all that hard work?" Tara fake protested. She was already finished; such a simple pattern didn't need much time or thought.

Forseti looked up at the sun. "Once it hits the mid-point we have a ten second window."

Sorsha gasped. "Bella your hands!"

The scissors were red hot, causing her fingers to smoke.

"I don't feel it," Bella stared.

"Your fire element is protecting you," Forseti squinted. "Okay…cut it now!"

Bella did so and the golden thread disintegrated. A small, black tear opened behind the spirit, as if someone had cut a tiny hole in the fabric of reality.

"Back to your cage, beast," Forseti ordered.

"Ha!" it snorted. "You call me a beast, but you should know—I didn't take anything that wasn't already there. Their dark desires and dreams were so _deliciously_ malignant. I barely had to touch them before they swelled into a whole persona!"

Miranda turned pale.

"Go away!" Leora commanded. "And take your poison with you!"

It sneered and tried to say something else, but a powerful wind sucked the words away. Leora and Miranda's restraints peeled back, fighting against the pull of the portal. Within seconds the fox spirit was whisked away, and the tear resealed.

Silence reigned.

"That's it?" Bella blinked. The scissors had cooled off and she handed them back to Forseti.

"Not quite."

Percy and the other members of Themis had approached them undetected, but they were in bad shape. All of them were injured in some way and having trouble walking. Ryder was at the very end, avoiding everyone's gazes.

"There's the matter of what brought Miranda to Themis' attention," Percy supported Gwen, who was favouring her left side.

"We took care of it," Tara's brow knitted. "Didn't we?"

"You don't want to be immortal anymore right?" Seb had to make sure.

"Definitely not," Miranda shuddered.

"That was something we learned of later," Amaya's expression twisted. "Miranda Mayshadow, you crossed the line when you took a human life."

There was a sudden chill in the air.

"I was under duress," Miranda pointed out calmly. "I was being possessed—"

"It is impossible to determine whether it was the spirit or you who perpetuated the deed," Dan pronounced gravely. "Either way, judgment must be passed."

"However unwittingly, you condemned an innocent soul to be anchored to a terrible apparition, trapped forever in limbo," Letty told her.

Miranda blinked. "I don't…I'm not sure when the spirit crept into my head," she stammered. "I'm definitely not sure when it started to take me over."

Leora scowled. "You are _not _touching my sister—not after all the trouble we went through to get her back!"

"Wait, what are you going to do to her?" Cameron was puzzled.

"Two choices," Gwen clicked her teeth. "Exile to a nightmare realm or a quick death."

"Neither option is worth it!" Leora snarled.

"Wait," Forseti interrupted. "The eclipse is still happening. What if you used your power to reverse what you did?"

Everyone stared at him.

Sorsha hesitated. "But…if she attached May's Shadow to someone's soul, the Shadow needs to go somewhere else, right?"

"Don't worry, I have a plan," Miranda's expression was determined. "Leora, can you help me with this?"

Her sister tilted her head and stared into her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"I need to fix this," she whispered. "Please, _jie_…let me do something right."

Whatever Leora saw made her relent unhappily. "Fine. But we need to move away from everyone, the last thing we need is someone else becoming an accidental casualty."

"No problem," Miranda clapped her hands, and suddenly the sisters were about 150-something meters (about two American football fields) away.

"You guys should probably set wards," Miranda sounded as if she were right beside them. "Tell us when you're ready."

Themis and Forseti worked together to place magical boundaries while the five teens used their elements to create a natural blockade.

"She's not going to do what I think she will, right?" Seb voiced.

"I hope not," Sorsha was worried. She reached for his hand and he took it gently.

Cameron exhaled. "I wanted her to suffer like we did, like Miss T did, but she suffered all that and more," he muttered to Tara, who was wrapped in his arms. "I'm tired of people hurting."

"Me too," she agreed.

Bella was standing in front of Ryder, who was so ashamed that he refused to look at her. "Bell, I—"

"Don't you dare break up with me," she warned. "Fire still trumps garden."

A ghost of a smile quirked on his lips. "True. But after everything I did…I'm not sure how much was me and how much was that thing. I think I hurt people, Bell, including you. How can I live with what I did?"

She took his hands. "By living better," she told him. "By choosing to help people from now on. I expect you'll feel guilty for a while, but you have to face it."

Ryder hung his head. "Bell, the fox spirit said it didn't take anything that wasn't there already, and I knew it was telling the truth. That darkness, those horrible feelings…they're a part of me. That creature fertilized all the bad seeds in my brain, but they were _already_ there! And now…they just keep sprouting all kinds of dark thoughts, and…what if I can't resist them? What if I'm permanently damaged?"

His face was so devastated that Bella wanted to give him a tight squeeze, but somehow she sensed he needed space. She settled by gently touching his shoulder.

"Even if there is evil inside you, there is also good," she said softly. "There are bad and good seeds in all of us. Sure, yours were awakened and enlarged thanks to a forcible possession—"

"Not making me feel better."

"The point is you were able to control them before, and I believe you can do it again," she finished.

Ryder finally met her eyes, and a wistful expression appeared on his face. "When did you get so mature?"

Bella grinned. "I'm not sure, but I can say it's been a long time coming. By the way, your last name isn't really Hunter, is it?"

"Why?"

"Just…Ryder Hunter? Really?"

Meanwhile, Forseti found himself having to undergo a rapid-fire interrogation from his (former) colleagues.

"So Nemesis can back me—" he stopped. "Wait, where is she?"

Everyone looked around.  
"I haven't seen her since we took down Ryder," Sorsha realized.

Sun-ah snorted. "Typical. If there's one thing Nemesis hates, it's paperwork. If she stayed until the end she'd probably have to do a full report."

Everyone groaned.

"The perks of a secret organization?" Cameron quipped.

Gwen shrugged. "You'd be surprised how many records we need to keep dealing with supernatural crimes."

A mist of red and blue began to gather, thickening into a fog so dense the sisters could barely be seen.

"How do we know when it's working?" The words were barely out of Cameron's mouth before lights shot into the sky.

"I think it's working," Tara observed.

The lights zoomed high, spreading into a circle and hovering. They called thin threads to each other that wove into a complex pattern, resembling a net. The gigantic shape then began to spin, faster and faster until darkness appeared in its centre and spiralled outwards.

"Whoa," Seb was slack jawed.

"When fueled by a solar eclipse, the Mayshadows can make stable dimensional rifts," Letty muttered to herself. "We should make a note of that."

A black, bat-like thing zoomed out of the portal towards the ground, letting loose an eerie shriek. The portal snapped shut and a blast wave surged through the air, knocking over trees and sending rocks flying. Their wards rippled but held, and the strength of the wave forced everyone to sit.

"I'm glad they made us stay here," Cameron mumbled.

"Me too," Tara and Bella chorused before grinning at each other.

The gust of air had ripped away Leora and Miranda's fog, and now they could see Leora on her feet, braced against the ground, as a dark, fluttery thing flew into Miranda's open mouth. A glowing figure nearby solidified. Within seconds it was over, and both the figure and Miranda collapsed.

"Miranda!" Forseti shouted. He was about to jump past the wards when Sun-ah grabbed him.

"Not yet," she warned.

"Why didn't she anchor it to an object, why would she take it into _herself_?!" He babbled. "What if it infects her the same way the other thing did?!"

"May's Shadow isn't really sentient," Tara explained. "It's more like a force if anything."

Forseti didn't look appeased.

"Hey, you heard that _jing,_" Ryder told him. "It only took a sliver to control me, but for her it took most of its power. Don't count her out so fast."

Miranda got on her knees, coughing.

"Are you okay?" Leora approached her cautiously.

She tried to smile. "Just great…"

The figure behind her moaned and turned over. Tara and Cameron gasped.

"Now that was certainly exciting, but definitely not enjoyable," the old woman struggled to her feet, Leora rushing to help her stand. "Thank you dear."

Cameron dashed out, past the wards, running at top speed.

"Cameron!" Tara sped after him.

Sun-ah rolled her eyes. "You guys, the wards are there for a reason—hey!"

Forseti took advantage of the distraction to wrench himself free and sprint to Miranda.

She groaned.

"Should we go after them?" Sorsha asked apprehensively. "I mean, if anything happens we won't be able to protect them from here."

Sun-ah face-palmed. "Sure. Why not."

The lady was chatting with Leora when Cameron almost slammed into her.

"Whoa—! Cameron! You almost knocked me over!" Miss T gasped.

He hugged her tightly. "I missed you," his voice was muffled.

She gently hugged him back. She looked up and met Tara's eyes.

"Hello, dear. How are you?" Her gentle voice set something off in her, and Tara jumped forward and embraced her tightly.

"I'm so glad to see you!" She sobbed, tears falling.

They stood there for a while. Once they finally let go, the three of them saw the others clustered around Miranda, who was still kneeling on the ground, bent over as she breathed slowly.

"You good?" Leora rubbed her back comfortingly.

"I'm getting used to it," Miranda croaked.

Forseti watched her with concern. "What were you thinking?!"

"May's Shadow is an extremely malignant entity," Leora explained. "But thanks to our heritage, Miranda should be able to carry it without any ill effects until we find the appropriate vessel for it."

Miranda surged forward for a second and everyone jumped.

"I'm good, I'm good!" She stumbled to her feet. "Seriously…"

Forseti and Leora supported her on either side.

"If we could return to the current timeline?" Leora glanced up. "I think totality is just about done."

Everyone looked up to see the darkness moving pass the solar disc.

"Aw man, we missed it," Seb joked.

"Hey, we'll get to see it again," Cameron elbowed him. "But…how do you end a time shift spell?"

The Themis operatives shifted.

"We got this," Sun-ah grinned. "Just hold on."


	16. Chapter 16: Concluding Business

After shifting back to their time, everyone got a bit woozy and Leora declared they all needed rest. No one contested her. All their fatigue seemed to crash on them at that moment. No one could be bothered to go to their rooms, so Leora and Miranda moved the furniture, then summoned a bunch of blankets, pillows, and mattresses so everyone could sleep in the manor's living room.

The next morning dawned quietly. Ryder shifted to the side and stretched. He heard movement in the kitchen and went to look when he heard voices.

"What's your real name?" Leora asked abruptly.

A sigh was heard. "It's embarrassing."

"We can't just keep calling you Forseti."

An egg was cracked and something sizzled.

"Joe," was his short reply.

"Could've sworn it was something longer."

"It's short for Josephus," Forseti—no Joe, explained. "My parents are historians."

She chuckled. "Makes sense."

For a few minutes there was only the sounds of crackling, hissing, and popping. A wonderful smell wafted through the door.

"Do you like my sister?" Leora spoke suddenly.

"As a friend? Definitely."

"What about more?"

There was silence for a few moments. "Maybe. I don't know."

She sighed. "She took your death hard. It's good you're alive, but—how did that happen?"

"I'm just as confused as you are."

Leora didn't speak at first. "Just be careful with her. Both her and Ryder have been through a lot. The last thing we need is to send them spiralling."

Someone poked him in the ribs and Ryder jumped and spun.

Miranda stood there, her hair a bird's nest. "We should talk. Outside."

The two were awkwardly silent as the birds chirped their morning song.

"Sorry about—" They spoke at the same moment before stopping.

"You first," Ryder offered.

She inhaled deeply. "Sorry about…trying to kill you and being a jerk about it."

He laughed. "Uh, sorry about…same. Trying to kill you and being a jerk. Even if it wasn't exactly our faults."

"True."

The apologies thawed the atmosphere somewhat, but there was still distance between them.

"I grabbed you 'cause I knew you'd understand," Miranda said abruptly. "About…the darkness…"

Ryder raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"You're worried too, aren't you?" She crossed her arms. "That ruthlessness you exposed to the world—you're wondering if that's who you truly are."

He stiffened. "How do you know?"

"Because I wonder too." She gave him a wry grin before sitting on the steps. He hesitated a moment before joining her.

"I wonder if under all my PG-friendly traits is a monster, one pretending to be something she isn't," Miranda said. "I wonder if one day, I'll wake up and find that monster in the mirror." She smiled sadly. "I wonder if the world would be better off without me."

"Don't say that," Ryder cut her off.

"Why not?" A bleak hopelessness filled her voice.

"Do you want to put your sister through the same ordeal you went through, only worse?" He became heated. "When I got to Evermoor all I saw was her wearing herself out to train those guys to save you. If Themis had…if I had succeeded, she would've made what you did look tame in comparison."

Miranda chuckled a little.

"Don't mess yourself up with would've, could've, should've," he told her sternly. "You may feel totally alone, but that's never true. You have people you can ask for help."

She held up a hand. "I get it, I get it. I'll listen—as long as you take your own advice."

"Dang, you caught me," Ryder grinned. "The past is past. Guess we gotta reconcile ourselves with it."

Everyone else was getting ready to eat breakfast when Ryder and Miranda returned. Tara darted a quick look at Bella, but she seemed unaffected as she dragged him to sit beside her. Joe moved to take the seat next to Miranda, but Leora squeezed herself in between them.

"Sorry Joe, but we need a little sister time first," she raised an eyebrow. "I haven't talked to her in like, months. You can flirt with her later!"

Everyone hid smiles at his sputtering protest as they ate, not leaving a single crumb behind.

"Thanks, Leora," Sun-ah rose with her plate. "We'll take care of the dishes."

"Good idea," Miranda stood as well. "But first…"

She turned to the Themis operatives. "I'm sorry for almost draining your souls." Then to Miss T. "And sending you to limbo." And finally, the Crossley siblings, Sorsha, and Cameron. "And I'm sorry for the pain I caused you, all of you."

"It's all right, you can't expect us to hold you responsible," Miss T spoke gently.

"The point is I'm not sure how much I was or wasn't responsible for," she stared her in the eye. "I still need to make it right."

Letty rolled her eyes. "Well you know what they say about Canadians: they never stop apologizing."

"Seconded," Bella agreed. "Especially when it's not their fault."

"So I'm forgiven?" Miranda spoke timidly.

"Of course," Leora gave her a tight hug. "After you apologize to me and the rest of the family for what you put us through these last few months."

She winced. "Definitely. I'll go call our parents."

After the dishes were cleaned, the Themis operatives bid their goodbyes to the Evermoor teens plus Ryder, Miranda and Leora.

"Are you leaving before the eclipse?" Tara asked.

"Some of us might stick around," Sun-ah smiled.

"And some of us are going home!" Amaya hooted. "It's not like I can actually _see_ it anyway."

"If you want I can transport you back," Leora offered. "Skip the hassle at the airport."

"Sounds good!" Percy shook her hand. "I'll swing by later to settle the details."

Sun-ah and Joe went with them for the time being but assured the teens they'd return.

Leora elbowed her sister. "So you and Joe…?"

"What?" Miranda blushed. "Should I ask about you and—?"

Leora whacked her sister upside the head before she could finish and Miranda vanished in a flash of blue, appearing a few meters away.

"It'd be an improvement over your last date," She was gleeful. "He tried to suck out your soul!"

"At least I didn't go crazy 'cause my crush died!"

_"__I don't have a crush on him!" _

"Then why're you turning red? Eh? Eh? You see her turning red, right guys?"

"Don't you dare answer that!"

The others decided to leave the sisters to their bickering. Cameron and Tara left with Miss T to visit the library, Ryder and Bella raced off on bikes, while Seb and Sorsha went off to have a private chat.

"It'll be nice to return," Miss T reflected.

"Uh, there's this other lady in the library now," Tara said hastily.

"Well, I'll have a talk with her and perhaps we can work something out," Miss T smiled.

"Was it hard?" Cameron asked. "Being in limbo?"

The old woman hesitated. "Not really. There were times I was just barely conscious of what was happening—May's Shadow kept trying to escape by making dimensional cracks, but I was able to sneak through instead."

"So all those times we thought you were talking to us—it was really you?"

"Yes," Miss T contemplated. "Certain cracks corresponded to certain points in time, and I was able to slip through those and reach you all."

Tara stiffened. "Wait! Your book—I left it at home, I—"

"You can give it to me later," the older woman reassured her.

"Then I'll give you your pendant now," Tara lifted it over her head.

Miss T held it gently. "Thank you, but…maybe I should let it go now."

"But it's yours!"

"Indeed," she nodded. "Thus, it's mine to give away."

Tara sighed. "All right, but keep it for a few days, at least? Figure out whether you want to keep it or not, okay?"

By then the trio had reached the doors of the library. It was still early in the morning, but there were a few people around.

Mrs. Levin sat at the desk, stamping books. Her mouth was twisted with concentration.

"Hello," Cameron greeted.

She looked up with a smile. "Cameron and Tara! Nice of you two to drop by. And this is…?"

"I'm Miss T," she introduced herself. There was a sudden gasp, and they turned to see the Mayor with his mouth hanging open. He abruptly retreated into the stacks.

"It's good to meet you!" Mrs. Levin stood and shook Miss T's hand. "I can assure you the place has been well kept in your absence."

"I can see that," Miss T said amiably. "You've done quite a lot, considering I was gone for only around two months."

Mrs. Levin beamed. "I've been working to digitally overhaul your whole system to make it more efficient, as well as finding ways to push up attendance."

"I see," Miss T yawned. "Oh, pardon me."

"You must be exhausted, it was a long journey back from…wherever you were," Mrs. Levin clasped her hand warmly. "Go home and rest. We'll talk more later."

Mrs. Levin's winged pendant fell forward, and the two teens couldn't help but see the coiled whip hanging from the centre.

Seb and Sorsha were sitting together in the garden. The sun shone through fluffy clouds, and for a few minutes they just embraced the quiet.

"I heard Esmeralda's going to wake up soon," Seb spoke awkwardly.

"The others think so, anyway." Sorsha fiddled with her hands.

"She'll probably tell you to stay away from me."

"Probably."

He turned to meet her teasing eyes, dancing with mischief.

"I never said I'd listen though." Sorsha sidled closer and intertwined her hand with his.

Seb blushed. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," she leaned in and—

"_EEWW_!"

"Quiet, Bell, they could hear us!"

"They kissed! I can't believe she kissed him!"

Ryder and Bella were spying on the other two from behind a hedge. They'd just returned from their bike ride and spotted them in the garden.

"Now he's leaning in and…how long is he kissing her _for_?"

"This is so gross," Bella groaned, turning away.

A red rose grew in front of her eyes.

"Just look at something beautiful instead," Ryder plucked it and offered it to her with a deep bow. "I'm already doing that."

"Dirt must be gorgeous then," she giggled before accepting the flower. "No thorns?"

"Just for you." He straightened with a smile and offered his arm. "Now may I escort the lady inside?"

"You may," Bella giggled as she moved closer, linking arms with him. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek before they started walking.

"Why is everyone in couples?" Leora wondered. She was looking down at Ryder and Bella from one of the windows, her sister beside her.

"It's okay, we can be alone together," Miranda gave her a one-armed hug.

"Not if that boy has anything to say about it!"

"_Jie!_" Miranda complained.

There was silence for a few seconds.

"Speaking of your boyfriend—"

"He's not my boyfriend."

Leora hesitated. "You sensed it too, right?"

Miranda didn't answer immediately, just kept staring through the window. "I'm not sure we should tell him."

"He was mad at you for keeping secrets," Leora reminded.

"But this is different." Her voice faltered. "He doesn't realize he died."

They spent a few minutes thinking, together yet apart.

"We need to check out the area where he woke up," Leora said. "If we see any rocks of silver or gold—"

"I doubt anyone would be that careless," Miranda interrupted. "But the fact he felt a breeze seems to prove it exists, at least."

"Then who wielded it? And for what purpose?"

Miranda sighed. "I guess we'll find out when we go home. After we rest for a while though."

"Agreed. I'll be Indiana Jones."

"The Lost Ark is not the same as that fan."

"C'mon, Short Round, let's find the others."

"That's the wrong movie…"

Leora swung an arm around her sister's shoulder. "Time to rejoin the others. Looks like our adventure's just beginning, eh?"


End file.
